My Fair Assassin
by LuvDuchess
Summary: She was never looking for anything long term, but one quick job leads her to a chance encounter with an enigmatic man with a strange connection to her past who makes her an offer she can't refuse. However, she learns that her new employer has many secrets, which raises her suspicions about his true intentions.
1. Cherchez La Femme Fatale

Happy New Year all! Here's a story I've been working on recently to calmly await the release of Tekken 7. I've been playing Tekken 6 and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 to refresh my self on the storyline and this story came to mind. If you don't like the characters or pairings, then you don't have to read it. R&R please!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, they are all property of Namco!

Things in her life had become rather monotonous and routine after the end of the fifth tournament. Surprisingly, even to herself, she began to relish in her newfound life of freedom, and she rarely depended on taking on new contracts to sustain her lifestyle as she had done in the past, she lived comfortably. Now, she only took on 'jobs' that peaked her interest, the kinds that seemed thrilling and unique. She would only lend her time and talents to causes that she deemed interesting and worthy of her prowess. And finally, after almost a month of inaction, she had found a new contract that would serve to whet her desires to soak her ivory hands into blood again.

A few weeks ago, Nina had been contacted by a mysterious contractor while she was vacationing in Venice. Usually, she would hate to be bothered by the outside nuances of the world when she was on a temporary hiatus from working, but this new potential client offered her the opportunity to carry out her favorite kinds of hits, the ones against disgusting dirt bags with too much money and power who destroyed the lives of others. The job required her to travel across the world to Japan, but luckily for her, she was quite familiar and felt at home there.

After she had left her quiet villa in Italy, she came to Japan and quickly found herself settled in a small apartment. She hadn't unpacked any of her suitcases seeing as how she rarely stayed in one location for too long. She didn't like being tracked down or easily located by anyone for any reason, she preferred to move in the shadows. Nina returned from her kitchen with a cup of green tea and walked over to her bed where her laptop rested.

Adorned in a grey sweat suit with the hood drawn over her head, she sat down on the bed waiting for her client to contact her with more information about the intended target. She received an email from the client earlier in the day informing her to be on the watch for a number, but they had not called yet. She did, however, receive numerous calls from another number she didn't recognize, and she refused to answer. After this job was done she would change numbers again. Who else had her number? Was it Anna? The thought of her estranged sister forced a wry smile to grace her lips. 'That poor idiot can't get on with life without finding a way to pester me. Anna, poor, pathetic, little Anna…' she thought with mild amusement.

Her phone rang again. This time it was finally the call she had been waiting for from her contact. She answered in her usual unamused tone, "Hello? Are you the one requesting my assistance?"

"One? No, we are many, Miss Williams," a woman with a Japanese accent replied. "We are happy you have replied to our contract, honored even that you have shown great interest in this contract."

The woman's age couldn't be determined by her voice. She could have been anywhere between her 20s to 40s, but her age didn't matter. What did she mean by "we are many"? Nina wasn't under the impression that this was a larger organization, but instead a woman with a personal vendetta against her target. "So, what do you know about the target and how badly do you want him to suffer?" she inquired with a smirk as she sipped tea from her cup. Skipping over the small talk and getting straight to business was how she preferred to do things.

The woman chuckled softly over the receiver. "We were right to seek you out for this job, Miss Williams, you are perfect for this," she said before continuing. "Your target is Ryotaru Mikage, male age 46. Mikage is a successful business man who expanded his company through the success of an underground human trafficking trade. His "cargo", as he calls them, mainly consists of young girls and women between the ages of thirteen and twenty. Many are wayward youth he finds on the street, others are abductees from various other places."

"He sounds like a real piece of shit," Nina scoffed. "Where can I find him?"

"Mikage conducts the majority of his trades in the Red Light District. He frequents a strip club called __Love Paradise__ where most of his cargo works under his watch. Many of his…associates attend the club as well, mainly for the entertainment, but they are armed." she warned the assassin.

Nina reflected on the information she was given and figured she would have to get "creative" to dispose of her target. The Red Light District was always a bustling part of any city no matter what, so she would have to be quick but discreet. "Hm, this Mikage creep seems to have a thing for under aged girls, it'll be difficult to get close to him if I don't meet his specifications." she pondered.

A melodious laughter erupted from the woman on the receiver again. "Oh, Miss Williams, but you are wrong. Mikage loves Caucasian women…particularly blondes, which is why you are perfect for this job!" she informed, enthusiastically.

Nina smirked with reassurance at this information. "Well, it looks like Mikage has a date with death," she said darkly. "Send me more information on him and I'll be sure to eliminate him within the next three days."

"We are most appreciative of your assistance. Upon completion of the contract, your sum will be wired to your account. Goodbye." The woman ended the call.

Nina set her phone down as she finished the last of her tea. She was excited to have a new assignment to complete, especially one where he got to rid the world of human scum like Ryotaru Mikage. She had preparations to make before she carried out the hit, but for now she would shower and attempt to get some sleep. 'Love Paradise? Sounds like a cheap strip club…wait… it __is__ a strip club, isn't it? Shit…' Her thoughts trailed off as she entered the bathroom.

* * *

The last few days had been hectic, but he had done everything in his power to keep things running smoothly. It was not easy to establish the order and control that he desired, and it had proven to be challenging to prevent chaos from happening seeing as he couldn't be everywhere at once. Without a constant watchful eye, the Tekken Force's defenses were weakened and the G Corporation was always making moves while his plans were currently at a standstill. He didn't want to admit it at first, but now he realized that he would need extra hands on deck to help maintain his newly acquired empire. To help whip the Tekken Force into shape, he welcomed a seasoned fighter onboard he had encountered the last tournament, Eddy Gordo. In actuality, it had been Eddy who had come to him out of desperation, and for some reason (despite his former moral compass) he saw this as an opportunity to prey on the man's weakness. With the life of the Brazilian fighter's master in his hands, he knew he had the collateral he needed to guarantee his loyalty and cooperation.

The young Japanese man gazed down at the city below him from the impressive view of his office. Being so high up made him feel somewhat disconnected from the on goings of the world below. The loud city traffic, the protestors, the story hungry news reporters were all banished from his sight and he felt more focused when he didn't have to worry about "others". At this moment, anyone against him was his enemy, and anyone trying to stop him would suffer her wrath.

The intercom buzzed on his desk. A voice spoke, "Master Kazama, sir! I have an updated report for you."

Jin could have let the soldier in, but he didn't want anyone to encroach in on his solitude. "Speak," he commanded.

The soldier's voiced boomed over the intercom once again. "We have finally found a way to contact the woman you were looking for, however, we have not been able to reach her." he reported.

A very slight frown formed on the young leader's face. It had been over a month since he had assigned him this task and he still made no progress. 'Useless, completely useless,' he thought as he shook his head in annoyance. It was failures like this that was holding him back from achieving his goals Just as he parted his lips to give the soldier another scolding, the soldier began to speak once again.

"The IT specialists have been able to track the phone in her possession and they have recently discovered that she is currently in the country. Would you like for me to send a small team of soldiers to capture her and bring her to you?"

"No," Jin answered in his deep voice. "Get me the device they are using to track her. I need to know her whereabouts if I'm going to find her."

"Sir? Are you sure it's safe to go after a woman like her by yourself?" the soldier asked nervously. "I've received reports that she may have been aware that she was being followed, and a soldier was even brutally attacked when he tried to make direct contact with her! Are you sure about this?"

"You're dismissed," he said sternly. Being asked too many questions always annoyed him. He knew what he wanted to do and he didn't need to clarify his actions to anyone.

Hopefully, this woman that he sought out would not make things difficult for him, it had been trying enough to even find her in the first place. After studying everything about her, her bio, past "work experience", and other personal information, he had become intrigued with her and he definitely needed someone with her talents to aid him. 'Nina Williams…where are you?' he thought as he continued to gaze over the city from the tower in the sky.

* * *

The last day had been pretty hectic for the assassin. She had to collect more intel on her next target and make any necessary preparations before she headed out to take him out. Luckily, her contractors helped her immensely by sending her the target's itinerary, so now she knew exactly where he'd be when she planned her hit, which would be tonight. After running a few errands around the city, she finally had everything she needed. Clothing shops, herbal shops, the grocery store, the pharmacy, she felt as if she had been everywhere.

Nina arrived back at her apartment and placed her bags on the floor, she was too exhausted to sort through everything at the moment. She stripped off her black trench coat and threw it over a chair before heading into her room. She ungracefully plopped face down onto her bed and let out a small sigh in exhaustion. This hit would've been so much easier if she could simply put a bullet between the bastard's eyes, but she knew that doing so would make it too obvious that it was a hit.

Also, on her errand run, she had noticed increased activity in soldiers patrolling the city. They looked like those damned soldiers from the Mishima Zaibatsu's Tekken Force, and at one point she felt as if she were being followed by a few of them. Although it wasn't in her intentions to use violence, she had no choice but to fight off one grunt that attempted to approach her. She knew that she was on several wanted lists in several countries, but that didn't stop her from living her life like a normal human being from time to time. She hadn't been paying too much attention to what was going on in the news since she was abroad for a while, but maybe it had something to do with the youngest Mishima winning the last tournament. It didn't concern her and she preferred to avoid any news surrounding that eccentric, diabolical family.

Nina rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. The apartment complex was so small and slightly run down, being in such a place made her miss her villa back in Venice. She sighed. 'As soon as I'm done here, I'm leaving…I feel like it's the calm before the storm. Something bad is definitely on the horizon, especially if it's involving the Mishimas…' she thought to herself. With this on her mind, it gave her all the more motivation to do her job quickly and get the hell out of dodge. She figured that she'd rest up for a bit before she left to complete her contract, so she curled up in her bed to take a short nap.

* * *

Being dragged into meetings all day wasn't on his itinerary, but with the many shady business deals and takeovers the Mishima Zaibatsu had been involved with lately he had no choice but to listen the to cries and complaints of several CEOs who were on the brink of financial ruin. It couldn't be helped, and he refused to allow himself feel sympathy for any of those old fools who once had their heads up Heihachi Mishima's ass.

Jin returned to his office at night and walked to his desk where shortly afterwards he slumped into his chair lethargically. He hadn't slept well last night and his mornings started so early, which meant he had been in meetings damn near since he woke up from the little ounce of sleep he had received. The coffee he drank throughout the day kept him functional, but nothing would beat a full night's rest. Before he could even dream about resting, there was one more order of business he had to check on. He reached into the pocket of his black slacks and pulled out the tracking device he requested from the soldier he had previously assigned to find the assassin. Now that he had free time, he could get things done on his own without worrying about the incompetence of others who would bumble their way through the job.

He glanced down at the device in his hand and his eyes slightly widened. The last time he checked it she was stationed in one location in a residential area, but now she was on the move again. Despite his tiredness, he quickly got up from his chair and grabbed his coat from the coat rack. He pulled out his phone to contact the Tekken Force unit. He had grown tired of the cat and mouse game with the assassin and wanted to make direct contact with her before the night was over.

When the called picked up he said, "Have a small unit ready to depart in five minutes. It looks like she's headed towards the…Red Light District." Jin was slightly surprised by this, but he decided to ignore it to focus on the task at hand. He would have some soldiers secure the area to make it more difficult for her to escape if she was able to slip from his grasp. There would be nowhere for her to run tonight.

* * *

End of chapter 1!

It's been ages since I've posted...I forgot how to use the site lbs! I wonder what happens next, no one better get in the way of Nina's job, or else...


	2. Date with an Angel

May be Rated M later for safe measure for language and some darker themes in later chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, they are all property of Namco.

For such a disgusting place filled with debauchery and decadence, she had to admit it had a nice décor and decent lounge music. This was probably the classiest 'strip club' she had ever seen. However, its opulent design was probably used as a deterrent to authorities to give it the appearance of a normal gentleman's club and not a place for an underground sex slave trade. She thought she would have more trouble gaining access into the club, but she had let her prized 'assets' do the talking for her, and after she claimed she was there for amateur night the owner was even more eager for her to join in on the fun.

Nina was welcomed in warmly and during her quick tour of the venue she had spotted her target, Ryotaru Mikage, sitting in V.I.P with a front view of the stage. His men were also near him, an entourage of five, most likely his close confidants and bodyguards. He wasn't a bad looking man, but beneath that handsome face and smug grin lied a deplorable monster who garnered gratification and financial gain from the pain and misery of young women who were forced to do unspeakable things against their will. As she walked by his table, his eyes latched onto her. Nina tried her hardest not to scowl as his eyes danced across her body quickly, she instead mustered her best seductive smile to keep him interested. The lascivious glare she received from him in return made her stomach churn, but it also lit a flame inside her that triggered her murderous intent. He was going to die tonight.

She went backstage to prepare herself mentally and physically in order to get the job done. This would be her first time (that she could remember post cryosleep) doing something like this. Jobs that required her to role-play always made her feel slightly ill at ease because she always worried about breaking character, but she always had to remember to stay cool, calm, and collected to get things done. In the dressing room, there were several other young women in the process her dressing themselves to get ready for the work night. Some were getting dressed in skimpy cocktail waitress outfits and others, the ones who looked the most "out of it" and nerve-wracked, were probably up to dance tonight as well. She felt sorry for them all, but hopefully by killing the orchestrator of their pain she'd be able to help them somehow.

Nina took a seat at a vacant vanity mirror and studied her appearance. She never liked to look too overdone, but she had to get into character. Instead of her usual ponytail, her blonde tresses now fell freely over her shoulders in luscious curls. Her makeup was a little heavier than normal, but still tasteful and sexy. She kept her coat on to conceal her outfit until it was time to perform.

A man entered the dressing room and loudly made an announcement to the girls. "There's been a change in the line up!" he shouted. "Mr. Mikage wants the blonde to go on first." His eyes landed on the blonde beauty sitting at the vanity and he smiled suggestively.

Nina had successfully charmed her target without even trying. The only positive of going first was that she would be able to kill him even faster. She sighed slightly and pulled out a vial of her special lip gloss from her coat pocket. She delicately applied it to her lips, and a young woman next to her watched her in some strange form of admiration. Nina turned to her and offered her a small smile.

"You look really pretty…you will do okay," she spoke with an accent. She looked to be between the ages of seventeen and twenty, and she had shoulder length dark hair.

Nina tilted her head to the girl and still offered her a sympathetic smile. The girl would probably be home with her family or out with her friends had she not been trapped there. She was snapped from her thoughts when she felt someone place their hand on her shoulder. She did her best to mask an oncoming sneer as she turned to whoever deigned to touch her. It was the man who had recently requested her presence onstage. She only glared at him with a calm expression.

"Hey, sweetheart, you're on in five," he said as he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "He wants to know your name."

Nina seized his wrist, careful not to apply the normal amount of bone breaking pressure she would to an opponent, and moved his hand away from her face. She smirked at the man and said, "My name is Angel."

* * *

It was a smart move on his part to take his bike instead of a car, traffic was always a nightmare in the city. He parked his motorcycle and surveyed the area. It was well lit by flashing neon signs, and scantily dressed women were everywhere, most likely working to usher in men to their place of business. Jin sighed heavily and shook his head at the spectacle before him. Never in a million years would he have envisioned himself in a place like this. Strangely, he felt nervous about being there since it was a new experience for him. He reached into the inner pocket of his black trench coat and pulled out his dark sunglasses and quickly put them on. He looked at the tracking device in his hand to try to hurry and pinpoint the woman's location. He didn't want to stay in a place like this longer than he had to.

He began walking around the district, almost robotically, since he was solely reliant on using technology to find his target. She was near and he kept following the GPS on the device to lure himself closer to her. Once he found the place, he wouldn't go in, but he planned to catch her upon exiting. 'Does she work in a place like this now? What a waste of talent,' he thought, disapprovingly. He was pulled from his thoughts and pulled physically when two giggling women approached him and grabbed onto his arms. He was taken aback and confused by their actions as they tugged him towards some club. They must have mistaken him for a customer.

"Let go," Jin objected calmly as the two girls in skimpy outfits tried to usher him into some seedy place. "I said let go!" he repeated with more vigor, but to no avail. They were persistent, and he began to feel nervous again as the girls pushed their barely clothed bodies against him. Once he was close enough to the entrance more girls came out and latched onto him and pulled him in as their annoying giggles filled his ears.

Jin stumbled into the place somewhat unceremoniously and he was quickly escorted to a table where he was instructed to sit. Amidst all the excitement, he failed to notice the device in his hand indicating that his target was in the vicinity. A girl quickly approached him and nervously tried to take his drink order while another poured him a glass of ice water with shaky hands, resulting in the glass tipping over and spilling onto his slacks. He flinched at the coldness of the liquid, and the girl only made everything worse by trying to quickly rub his pants near his groin to wipe the stain.

A man also approached his table and scolded the girls for smothering their patron. "So sorry, sir," he apologized. "It's their first day. Can I get you anything?" he asked.

Jin was admittedly embarrassed by the situation and he slowly shook his head as a response.

"Ah, I see, you're strictly here for the entertainment tonight. Do enjoy, sir, we hope you find what you're looking for," he said as he bowed his head and walked away.

Jin grabbed some napkins and dabbed at his pants to dry them. Where the hell was he anyway? He looked a napkin in his hand and it said __Love Paradise.__ He glanced around and noticed the other patrons in the club, mostly men who seemed to be having their fill of alcohol and looked to be in a daze as they ogled the waitresses. The lights dimmed and music began playing. Jin looked around somewhat nervously and wondered if it was too late to leave.

"Let's give a warm welcome for our sexy newcomer, Angel!" a man announced loudly with applause and whistles following afterwards.

Just as he had almost gathered the nerve to leave, a flash of white entered his peripheral vision, causing him to quickly glance at the stage. His breath hitched in his throat and his eyes widened. "N-Nina…?" he muttered under his breath. Unconsciously, he stared at her in awe and shock. He still hadn't paid the device any heed as it had clearly shown that he was in the correct place. Good thing the lights were dimmed, he had his shades on, and sat closer to the back so that he could avoid being seen by her. He tried to avert his gaze from the stage, but some strange, unnatural force kept bringing his eyes back to her as she danced seductively to the music playing, beautifully adorned in all white lingerie.

He didn't expect to come face to face with her under these circumstances, but she was nearly impossible to contact. His attention was diverted from the stage for a quick second when a waitress placed another glass of water on his table. He quickly picked it up and began drinking from it while he still watched her on stage. She twirled around the pole skillfully, using great muscle control to hold herself up. The white corset she wore accentuated her curves in all the right places while displaying an ample amount of her bosom. He noticed that not only had she mastered the art of fighting in heels, but she seemed to have no trouble dancing in them as well.

More cheers and whistles erupted from the crowd as she slid down the pole, successfully enthralling the audience of onlookers. She landed gracefully on her knees and began running her fingers through her hair seductively with her eyes closed before caressing her hands over her body erotically, completely captivating the crowd. Jin noticed his heart rate increasing and he had to focus his attention somewhere else to keep his wits. As Jin glanced around the room he noticed a lot of the men seemed to be gazing at her in a lustful daze, most likely with disgusting fantasies racing through their wanton minds.

The table closest to the front became louder as the seductress on stage had her sights set on a middle aged man dressed in a business suit. He noticed that she seemed to be privately dancing for him now, paying nothing and no one else any mind. It seemed that not only VIPs got the best view, but they got the best service as well. She crawled towards the edge of the stage on her hands and knees and beckoned the man to come closer by signaling for him to come hither with her finger as she gazed at him lustfully with her crystal blue eyes.

The man gladly and boldly took a few steps towards the stage and, to his surprise, once he was close enough she reached out to grab his tie and wrapped it around her hand as she forcefully pulled him closer. His entourage was thoroughly entertained by their boss receiving 'special treatment' since they burst out in raucous laughter, spilling their drinks onto the floor drunkenly. They watched as she gripped his face between her hands and pulled him in for a kiss. The crowd wolf whistled loudly and cheered on at the spectacle. Jin nervously drank the last of his water. He had to go, things were getting too heated and he hated all the noise from the rowdy, horny men. He watched her as she pushed the man away from her as their lips parted and stood up to her height and strutted off stage sexily.

"Give another round of applause for Angel!" the announcer shouted excitedly.

Jin snapped out of his reverie once she left the stage and as the loud voice of the man yelling over the microphone pierced his ears. He left a hefty tip on the table and finally stood to leave. 'What was I thinking, allowing myself to sit in a place like this…watching her dance like that?' he thought with a slight tinge of shame. He was not used to allowing his mind slip like that and he rubbed the bridge of his nose to focus on what he set out to do.

He looked over to the table of obnoxious men at the VIP table and watched as the man who received preferential treatment from "Angel" talked excitedly about the various sexual things he was going to do with her. He was so drunk that he could barely hold the glass of liquor to his lips without spilling it all over his suit since his hand began to shake uncontrollably. The liquor sputtered from his mouth as he began to cough persistently. A loud crash filled the room as he fell backwards onto the table, convulsing wildly as blood slowly seeped from his nose and mouth. The men around him finally jumped up in alarm, yelling for someone to get help. More pandemonium was caused as the once giggling girls screamed in horror at the sight of the man seizing out of control before lying still, glassy eyes staring lifelessly upward as a final gurgle escaped from his mouth.

Jin was shocked at what he had just witnessed, but he put the pieces together in his mind as he realized what had happened. He had witnessed the most perfect, deadly hit carried out by the very elusive, beautiful assassin he had been seeking. If he didn't leave now, he might miss his chance to catch her. He quickly exited the club along with several other guests who were panicking. It wouldn't be long before the cops swarmed the place.

"The blonde, find that blonde bitch now!" a man from the victim's entourage yelled over the screaming crowd.

'I have to find her before it's too late,' Jin thought as he heard the man scream more derogatory things about the assassin.

* * *

After the show, she hastily made her exit from the club through the back entrance, the only thing she needed to grab was her black trench coat to cover herself as she had exited through the back alley. She stopped momentarily to pull a small case from her pocket. She touched her lips and gently peeled off a thin layer of silicone from her top and bottom lip and placed it the case. It protected her lips from the poison she used to exterminate her target. She was lucky that the creep didn't attempt to thrust his tongue into her or she could've suffered from the effects of the poison, but she escaped such a fate.

As her heels clicked down the dark alley she could hear all the chaos emerging from within the club. She smirked to herself and thought, 'Good riddance, Mr. Mikage.' She was hardly worried about the henchmen that might be seeking her, if they came for her, she'd dispose of them too. She picked up her pace a little as she neared closer to the mouth of the alley. There was nothing more that she desired right now than a hot shower and a scotch on rocks. Once she reached the opening of the alley, a motorcycle screeched in her path, cutting her off abruptly. Who the fuck did this guy think he was? With no hesitation, she quickly whipped open her coat and reached for the pistol in the inner pocket.

"Stop right there, Nina Williams," Jin urged as he stared directly at her. "Or do you prefer to be called "Angel" now?" he said with a smirk.

Nina scowled at the cocky young man. She was surprised that she hadn't shot him in the face before he finished his sentence. Now she recognized him. That spiky, black hair and smug attitude…the classic indicators of a Mishima. "Get out of my way!" she hissed. He was impeding her escape and she began to think it was intentional. Did he work with that Mikage creep? The thought made her grip her gun tighter as she pulled it from her coat.

"Get on or face them," he quickly offered an ultimatum to her as he nodded his head towards the men bursting from the back door of the club.

"There she is!" one of the goons yelled as they headed towards her with their weapons.

Without a second thought, she hopped onto the bike with Jin. It had been a long while since she rode bitch on a motorcycle, but it wasn't like she had a choice considering the circumstances. She remained silent.

"Hold on," he said before abruptly pulling off at a high speed, forcing her to fling her arms around his waist. They could hear the men firing their weapons in a futile attempt to stop them. It was then he realized that the henchmen were just useless grunts and not trained killers like the woman pressed against his back. He smirked as he zipped down the streets and made a few sharp turns to make it back onto the main road.

Now that she was out of immediate danger, she would no longer be requiring his assistance. What were his motives behind helping her escape anyway? Did he manage to get hot and bothered during her little show and think that he was going to take her home for a quick thrill? Never! "You can stop now, I don't think we're being followed," she suggested as she looked behind them. Besides that, the wind kept whipping her hair in her face and her coat was open, inviting the cool breeze to send chills all over her body. Once she caught herself unintentionally pressing her body against his back for warmth she knew they had to stop soon.

"You're going to walk home like that?" he asked loud enough for her to hear. He tried to ignore the sensation of her smashing her chest into his back as he kept his focus on the road.

"What's it to you? I can manage on my own," she replied vehemently.

"How would you have evaded those men without my help?" he asked again. He hit another sharp turn, which urged her to grip onto him tighter once again.

Nina's hand brushed against something hard in his pocket. "What is __that__ in your pocket?" she inquired without trying to sound suggestive. It didn't feel like a gun and it felt bigger than the average phone.

"My device," Jin replied vaguely. He wondered what she was getting at, but he chose to ignore it.

"Aren't you going to stop? Where are you taking me?" she questioned. He was terrible at answering questions. If she had to jump off his bike to escape him, she would.

"Home."

"How do you know where I live?" Nina asked suspiciously.

"My device," he repeated.

What a cocky little shit he was! Now, she was really curious to know what he was after. It wasn't just a coincidence that he happened to be at the club tonight, and now that she thought about it, she was sure those soldiers trying to tail her the other day had something to do with him. "Jin Kazama," she spoke into his ear. "I am not one to be trifled with, so you'd better tell me what I want to know," she threatened in a sultry voice.

"Hmph," he smirked as she finally spoke his name. He was beginning to think she lost all memory of him from the past. "So, you do remember me? Good to know." He spoke in an even tone. It was then that he felt something hard pressing against his back, undoubtedly the barrel of her gun.

She was done playing games with him. "Pull over now," she demanded, all traces of humor were absent from her voice.

Jin complied with her request, despite the irrationality to be dropped off in the middle of a deserted road with no way to get home. He pulled to the side of the road and looked over his shoulder at her, remaining silent.

Nina narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before disembarking from his bike. She still tried to appear threatening as she fumbled to keep her coat closed with one hand to hide her scantily clad body while holding her gun in the other. "Why have you been following me? Speak," she insisted, never taking her eyes from his shaded eyes. "Take off your sunglasses," she requested strangely.

He usually wasn't this compliant with anyone, but he didn't have the energy to go back and forth with her anymore. He removed his shades and stared at her blankly with his almond colored eyes.

She stared directly into his eyes and her heart skipped a beat as a long forgotten memory flashed through her mind. She hated it when she experienced that. 'Ogre,' she thought in horror. 'Kazama…he was the one I wanted to kill back then!' She didn't want to remember that odious creature and she loathed when a long gone, forgotten bad memory found its way back to her. This is why she gave up on recovering her memories long ago, she'd rather focus on building a life for her future. She unconsciously backed away from him without uttering a word.

He noticed her strange behavior and saw a flash of fear wash over her face before she went slightly pale. There was no use in standing out in the cold, he was tired and surely from her eventful night she was tired as well. "Let me take you home," he suggested as a final offer.

She averted her eyes from him for moment and looked down the lonely road. "Just answer one question," she said in a quiet voice. "What do you want from me?" she asked, finally looking back at him.

"Your help," he answered, straight to the point. "I've been searching for you for quite a while and I want to talk to you about a proposal I have for you, but not here," Jin said with a slight nod.

There was some sincerity in his answer. Despite her suspicions of anyone connected to the Mishima bloodline, she didn't think Jin was as nefarious as his other family members. She put away her gun and decided to give this another try. Nina silently approached the bike once more and embarked again. Once again, before he gave her a chance to get fully situated, he pulled off, causing her to instinctively cling onto him for dear life. "Asshole," she uttered in annoyance.

Jin smirked again as he continued to zoom down the road at high speed. Within no time at all, he arrived at the location where she currently resided. When he pulled up to the curb, he was surprised that she decided to live so meagerly. He knew that a woman with her talents would desire much more in life than mediocrity, but he figured that it was only temporary housing. Maybe she wasn't planning on staying in Japan much longer. He only hoped he was able to effectively change her mind with his proposal tomorrow morning, that is, if she even agreed to meet him. He didn't say a word as she got off of his motorcycle.

Nina flipped her tousled blonde hair from her face and turned to face him once again. She was finally able to properly close her coat. Perhaps she would substitute the scotch over rocks for a hot cup of tea, then again the scotch would help her sleep better. "About this proposal…" she started.

"Come to my office tomorrow morning, 8 a.m.," he simply stated while reaching into his coat pocket to hand her one of his business cards.

She took a step forward and took the card from his hand. How fancy. It seemed that Jin Kazama was making his niche in the corporate world, but she still didn't understand why he sought her out. In her career, she had gained a good degree of business acumen, but if it was a assistant or secretary he needed, he would have to look elsewhere. She refused to be trapped in corporate setting only to be someone's office eye candy. Despite her reservations and uncertainty, she decided not to drag things out any further. She was cold and wanted to go to sleep soon. "Tomorrow at 8 a.m. it is," she agreed, finally. "Good night, Jin Kazama, thanks for the ride." She smirked as she turned around to walk towards her building.

Jin listened to the sound of her heels as they clicked against the concrete as she retreated away from him. He only hoped that she would come to see him tomorrow and agree to his terms. He would do anything necessary to make sure she didn't decline his offer. Once he saw that she was inside, he sped off. He would need a full night's rest if he hoped to be at least halfway charismatic tomorrow morning.

* * *

I wonder what song Nina would dance to...I couldn't decide on just one song lol. R&R!:)


	3. A Decent Proposal

Looking at my files, I had no idea this was going to be such a long story. Brace yourselves. Thanks so much for any reviews and follows. 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, they are all property of Namco.

It was the first time in a while that she had a decent night's rest. No sleeping pills or a glass of scotch were needed to help her slip into a deep slumber last night. Then again, she always seemed to sleep better after pulling off a successful hit. It put her mind at ease to accomplish a goal, whether it was short term or long term. After she had woken up, she laid in bed hugging her pillow to her body. She didn't want to get up, but she knew she had a long day ahead of her. Her phone rang loudly and officially forced her to rouse from the bed. What time was it anyway?

Nina reached over to her nightstand and grabbed phone and answered it. "Hello?" she answered drowsily.

"Good morning, Miss Williams," a woman with a Japanese accent answered. "We thank you for your services and your reward has already been deposited into your account."

The blonde rubbed her eyes tiredly as she held the phone to her ear. She had almost forgotten about the sum of money she was supposed to receive from her last contractor. She really didn't care about the money, she supposed. "Good," she said with satisfaction. "Now, what will happen now that he's…no longer an obstacle?" Nina asked with interest. Normally, she didn't give a damn about the affairs of her clients after a contract was completed, but she was genuinely interested in how her services helped them. After all, it was this job that brought her back from her temporary hiatus and forced her to travel overseas, so she was at least mildly interested in the outcome.

"The police are currently launching an investigation, but an even bigger story is overshadowing the death of Mr. Mikage, the closure of several missing persons cases. With the girls no longer being drugged and beaten into submission, they were finally able to tell their stories and will hopefully be reunited with loved ones," the woman explained. "We appreciate your help, Miss Williams." She thanked the assassin again before ending the call.

Nina really didn't see herself as the compassionate type, but deep inside she was relieved that the death of one bad person served to improve the lives of many others. It wasn't everyday that she took on jobs that didn't involve senseless deaths ordered by greedy businessmen or vindictive mafia members. She glanced down at the phone and noticed that the time indicated that it was almost 7:30 a.m. 'Shit! I overslept! I'm going to be late!' she thought in a small panic. She dashed from her bed and quickly headed towards her bathroom to get ready for her meeting with Jin. She could only imagine his look of disapproval when she walked into his office late, but it couldn't be helped.

* * *

An incessant ringing noise broke the silence in the room, but even with the loud noise penetrating the room, he still couldn't summon the will to get up. He shifted slightly in his sleep, only turning his head towards his phone, but he made no move to reach for it or open his eyes. He slept like a rock last night, and his body was so deprived of sleep lately that it nearly begged him to forfeit everything for the day to stay in bed. The phone stopped ringing for a moment before it started ringing again. Jin finally opened up his eyes only to stare up at the ceiling. Finally, he reluctantly rolled over in his king sized bed and reached for his phone and answered it groggily. "What is it?" Jin groaned angrily.

The nervous voice of a woman came through the receiver. "Mr. Kazama, sir, there's a woman here to see you," the young secretary informed him. "I-I sent her to your office because I thought you were already there, b-but I…"

Jin's eyes widened and he sat up with a quick jolt. "What time is it?!" he demanded with a shout.

The woman let out an intimidated squeal before answering him in a panicked voice, "I-It's almost 9 a.m., sir, I'm sorry…I should have called you earlier!"

Jin hung up and hopped out of bed dressed only in a pair of black boxers. How did he oversleep for so long? He guessed he underestimated how exhausted he was for the last few days and he finally paid for it. The only bright side of this was that he was finally well rested, but now he felt slightly apprehensive about facing the assassin. He could already see her piercing him with those fierce, icy blue eyes with that ever present look of contempt on her face. 'I wonder if this meeting will go well at all if she's upset with me for being tardy. I'll have to make it up to her…somehow,' he thought as he rushed to get ready.

* * *

Glancing at her watch, she now realized that it was 9:30 a.m. She smirked to herself as she realized that she wasn't the one who was late after all. At least she wouldn't be chastised for not being prompt, but if she had to wait for him any longer she'd be the one grilling him for wasting her time. Nina sauntered around his spacious, luxurious office and wondered how he liked life at the top with so much money and power at his disposal. How long would it last? Surely his father was plotting his demise and planning to usurp him, how would he stop him? She stood by the large wall length window and looked over the city. 'What a wondrous view…he can overlook most of the city from this height,' she thought as she continued to gaze out of the window with interest.

She heard the door open and she looked over her shoulder. "Oh, there you are," she said in a bored tone. He walked in casually dressed in a nice pair of dark grey slacks and a black shirt with a few buttons undone.

Jin walked into his office and immediately noticed her silhouette standing in the window. The sunlight engulfed her figure and he didn't get a clear view of her until she walked towards him. She seemed very radiant this morning, well anytime she wasn't frowning she seemed more pleasant than normal. She was sharply dressed in a black blazer with a white silk blouse underneath and a tight, black mini skirt, and of course, an expensive pair of black high heels. Her hair no longer fell freely over her shoulders in loose curls, instead it was pulled back into a ponytail. It was quite a difference from her attire from last night. He quickly tried to prevent images of her dancing erotically on stage from pervading his thoughts again. He stared directly into her eyes and said, "I'm sorry for being so late," he apologized sincerely. "I overslept…last night was very…exhausting."

Nina folded her arms across her chest and waved her hand in dismissal. "It's fine, it happens," she said as she held back the urge to chuckle. She walked over to the leather chair in front of his desk and took a seat.

He figured that she was ready to get down to business. Besides, they were already off to a late start so they might as well get this over with. He walked over to his desk and took a seat as well. He looked across the desk and stared at her. Her body language seemed much more relaxed compared to yesterday, she seemed much less standoffish this morning. Hopefully, this change in her demeanor would work in his favor. "Would you like any refreshments?" he asked.

The corners of Nina's lips pulled into a small smile. It was strange seeing him attempt to act nice and gentlemen-like, he always seemed so aloof in past tournaments. Was he trying to develop a new corporate persona, a mask to hide his true intentions from the world? "Sure," she answered. "Tea would be nice…" she started.

"With milk?" he finished with another cocky smirk.

She raised an eyebrow at this, but she was unamused. He must've been studying her records long and hard to remember such a minute detail like that. Then again, being the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu gave him unlimited access to the files and records of former subjects of the horrific experiments they conducted in the laboratory. She mentally kicked herself for willingly letting herself become intertwined with these psychos again. "It seems that you know so much about me, but I still don't fully understand why I'm here in the first place. Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you want," she demanded a serious tone.

The pleasantries were over. She didn't stay in her brighter mood for long. Before he would get into that, he reached over to touch a button on his intercom and said, "Have someone bring a cup of tea with milk and a cup of coffee with cream to my office."

"Yes, Mr. Kazama, sir!" the woman responded.

He looked at the blonde again and she narrowed her eyes at him impatiently. "Nina, please don't be upset with me. I had to study your records because I wanted to know if you were right for the job," he said to appease her. "I want you to be my bodyguard." He finally revealed his true motives for calling this meeting with her.

Nina couldn't help it this time. A small sardonic laugh escaped from her lips. She brought a hand up to her mouth to ease her laughter. She looked at him and ignored the annoyed look on his face. "Bodyguard? Hm, since when did anyone in your family ever truly need a bodyguard? Besides, don't you have an entire army at your disposal?" she mocked.

Jin was displeased with her reaction to his proposal. He sat forward and looked into her eyes intently. "I'm serious," he said sternly. "The things I'm planning, the things I'm going to do will gain me a lot of enemies. There will be a lot of people who will want me dead…that is why I need you."

Nina crossed her legs and raised an inquisitive finger to her lips. "Hm, what might these "things" be, Jin Kazama? With this meeting, I was hoping to understand more about your motives, but you insist on shrouding everything in mystery."

"Does it matter what my motives are? If you're hired for a job you should do it…no questions asked, right?" His tone became colder.

There was an awkward moment of silence between them as they sat there in a quiet stare off, secretly trying to read each other's minds. Nina didn't know what to make of this situation…and Jin. He was such a strange man…strange and difficult to understand. 'A bodyguard…for a man like him? Please! He's up to something…' she thought, feeling extremely distrustful of the youngest Mishima.

Jin didn't know why she was making this so difficult for him. From her profile, he ascertained that she would be a ruthless, cold-blooded killing machine who would obey his every command no matter what the circumstances were, but she was so unlike the woman he'd thought she'd be from the files. Perhaps they were outdated. 'I can't tell her what I'm after right away…she wouldn't understand. How else can I convince her to accept this job without telling her the explicit details of my plan?' he pondered deeply.

The silence was broken by the sound of a woman's voice speaking over the intercom. "Mr. Kazama, I'm here to bring you your drinks, sir," she announced.

"Come in," Jin said.

The door opened and a woman with short dark hair and glasses came in holding a silver tray with the drinks he requested. She carefully and steadily walked towards his desk. Nina casually watched the woman walk towards the desk to set the tray down. She was visibly shaking and the cups and saucers chattered along with the woman's uneasy nerves. Nina shook her head and placed her face in her palm for a brief moment. What a sad display. 'What happens if she drops the tray? Does he fire her or kill her?' she wondered.

Once the woman set the tray down, she bowed to him stiffly and said, "Please enjoy, sir!" She turned to leave and regarded Nina with a quick nod of her head before speed walking out of his office.

Jin reached for his cup of coffee and drank from it silently.

Nina sat up and picked up her cup of tea. She blew on it for a moment to cool it off before pressing her lips to the cup to take a sip as well. She remained silent as she quietly enjoyed drinking her tea. Hopefully, this meeting would be over soon, she wanted to grab something to eat on the way back to her apartment.

Jin studied her silently, trying to piece together the puzzle before him. What truly motivated her in her line of work besides money? Did she truly enjoy killing or was it something she was forced into and had grown accustomed to doing? Was she considering declining the job because of his bloodline and her former connections to his family? He sat his coffee down and leaned back into his chair, resting his elbow on the armrest. "That man you killed yesterday…why'd you accept that job?" he asked, breaking the silence after their short refreshment break.

Nina placed her cup of tea back on the saucer on the tray and looked at him casually. "He deserved to die. He was a terrible human…a real piece of shit, I would say. Why do you want to know?" she asked smugly.

"So, it wasn't solely the money that motivated you?"

"Not this time."

"Why not?"

"I was interested in taking him down so I waived my usual hefty fee."

"I see," he said with interest. "You are passionate about your job."

"Passionate? That's a strong word, Kazama. I just like eliminating human filth from the world," Nina said frankly.

"Nina, I know my family…and this damned organization hurt you in the past," he said as he sat forward in his chair once more. "Help me destroy it."

Now this finally peaked her interest. Were his motives all along to destroy his family's company? It didn't seem like something he needed to hide from her. "That sounds intereting? How are you planning on doing that?" she asked. Taking down the Mishima Zaibatsu would be fun, a grand time.

"I'm going to start a war," Jin admitted causually.

Her blue eyes widened in shock for a moment. Was he serious? She didn't think Jin had it in him to do such a thing. "A war? With whom exactly?"

"The entire world," he answered calmly.

He was a mad man! She was hoping that the Mishima madness skipped a generation, but maybe it only took longer to manifest itself in him. She folded her arms across her chest and sighed softly. "I'm not usually picky about who I work for, but this is difficult," she admitted truthfully. "You say it's all to take down this company, but there's something not quite right about this." She heard the sound of his desk drawer opening up and wondering what he was doing. Was he going to kill her for not accepting his offer so willfully? Instinctively, she slowly moved her hand to reach behind her back for her hidden gun.

Jin pulled out a notepad and began jotting something down. When he was finished he slid it towards her. He noticed how tense she looked. She definitely didn't trust him, which meant it would be hard to form a solid working relationship with her if she did accept his offer.

Nina glanced at the notepad in curiosity and picked it up from his desk. Her eyes widened and her lips parted slightly. 'That's a lot of zeros...and it's a salary, not a single drop off! Still, do I want to help him start a war? I don't think he'll ever fully tell me everything he's after, but do I care? When did I become so concerned about morality? I can't really judge anyone...not with the things I've done…but I still don't know about this…' she contemplated with great confliction.

She was really pondering on this much longer than he thought she would. He really wanted to know her answer right away, but he figured if he pressured her she might grow suspicious and back out of the deal. "Your primary concern will not be managing the Tekken Force. As my bodyguard, I need you to get rid of any…pests that will attempt to get in my way. When I decide to announce the King of the Iron Fist Tournament 6, I'll especially need you to eliminate anyone trying to stop me," he explained in further detail.

Another tournament? That could be a fun way to pass the time. Sure, she enjoyed traveling and living abroad, and she would miss her villa by the sea, but maybe it was time for a change. Despite Jin's crooked intentions, it was a pretty solid deal. She wasn't a hero, nor was she a villian…just a hired hand. 'I can easily take out anyone coming after him, but in the end he'll be the one living with the blood of innocent people on his hands. I'm no hero, definitely not a saint, so who am I to judge him?' Nina reflected on her choices long and hard before saying, "I'll do it. I'll be your bodyguard."

She was a tough cookie to crack, but there was a weight lifted from his shoulders when she finally agreed. He nodded his head. "Thank you, your serices are geatly needed," Jin said in a tone of appreciation. He reached in his desk drawer again and pulled out a small stack of papers held together by staples. He slid it towards her. "This is your contract. I expect you to read through it tonight and bring it back signed tomorrow morning. I'll answer any questions for you if you have any."

Nina looked at the stack of papers blankly. 'Great…homework. I'm willing to bet there's a lot of bullshit I have to agree to in order to please him. I'll be damned if I end up like that cowardly secretary of his,' she thought dully. She took the papers into her hand and stood up finally. She tugged and smoothed her skirt down as she was ready to depart from his office as soon as possible. Boring meetings weren't her thing, but at least it was finally over. "Good, then I will see you tomorrow at the same time?" she guessed.

"Yes, that's fine." He stood up as well to escort her to the door.

Before leaving out she turned around to face him once more. Her usual cold sapphire eyes held a slightly detectable look of concern in them. He felt that nervous feeling returning again. 'What now?' he thought as he stared back at her.

"Kazama, I don't what it is you truly hope to gain by doing this, but I hope it's worth it," Nina said before she walked away from him.

He remained silent as she walked down the long hall, listening to the sound of her heels echoing off the walls. He closed the door and walked back towards his desk and sat down once again He stared listlessly at the silver tray on his desk and his eyes fell onto the cup the blonde assassin drank from, upon which a peachy coral lipstick mark decorated the rim. If he could tell her everything he would, but now was not the time. How would he convince her that anything he told her was true? The look she gave him when he told her about his plans for war indicated that she thought he was crazy. She'd really think he was nuts if he told her about his reoccurring nigtmares of an ancient beast speaking to him, begging to be awakened. It didn't matter now, he just needed her to do her job so that he could move forward in his plans. 'When this is all over…I'll finally be free from you,' he thought darkly.

* * *

Next chapter is going to be doubly long. If at any point any one thinks I should change the rating, please let me know. R&R!:)


	4. Truces and Reunions

Hello all! I'm back with a new chapter! Thanks so much for the reviews, I truly appreciate them! I'll continue posting chapters regularly now since I've finally acclimated to my new schedule. Hope you enjoy this chapter!:)

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, they are all property of Namco.

* * *

After indulging in a quick lunch of take out from a local restaurant, Nina finally felt satiated and focused enough to go home and read through a few pages of the contract given to her by Jin. She sat in her bed Indian style, dressed comfortably in a white floral silk robe, while closely reading the pages. There were a few things she had questions about that she would have to bring up to him. For instance: _Employees must sign a waiver to agree to constant surveillance when within the Mishima Zaibatsu headquarters and other owned properties._ 'Well maybe it's just a security measure…I hate the feeling of being waitched constantly,' she thought suspiciously. She highlighted the sentence and moved on. Something else caught her attention: _Employees must carry company phones and have them on and in their possession at all times. All phones are embedded with advanced tracking technology._ Nina shook her head at this and highlighted it as well. 'Constant surveillance and stalking? Am I going to be his prisoner?'

Her cell phone rang, and without hesitation she reached for it and answered it casually, "Hello?"

"Oh, you finally answered your phone. How nice. I was beginning to think you were dead, dear sister," the voice said.

Nina's eyes rolled so far back into her head that she went temporarily blind for a moment. This was a grave mistake that she would surely regret. She definitely had to get rid of this damned phone. She remained silent, not really having anything to say at the moment.

"So, I see you're in Japan now. Why didn't you tell me earlier? You know it's part of our little agreement," Anna spoke.

"Don't tell me you tracked my phone and you're here as well…in the same city," Nina spoke in a dull tone of annoyance.

"Why of course I am, dear. I really thought you were dead, so I figured I'd at least claim your body," she laughed.

Nina held the phone away from her ear momentarily to spare her ears from her younger sibling's voice. "What do you want, Anna? I told you to stop following me," she said in annoyance.

"I'll follow you to the end of the Earth if I'm able," Anna said. "What are you doing tonight, Nina?" she asked playfully.

The blonde sighed heavily. 'Please, don't you dare say it, you bitch, not tonight!' she thought. "I'm busy," she replied curtly.

"Liar! Upon our agreement, I'm calling for a truce night. You owe me this, sister," she suggested.

Anything but a truce night, especially since she wasn't in the mood tonight…or any night for that matter. "No, I'm not in the mood and I said I'm busy!" she snapped angrily.

"If you don't, I'll never stop following you!"

"Get a life will you!"

"What's so bad about having a drink with your sister, Nina? You're such a bitch to me!" she whined.

Nina shook her head and cradled her face in her palm. "Fine," she reluctantly agreed. "What time and where?"

"I'll text you the location…you're going to love this place," she laughed. "Don't stand me up," she warned before hanging up.

She definitely wasn't looking forward to this. No matter how long they went without seeing each other, Nina never felt the urge to go out of her way to track Anna down. Anna, however, always wanted to know what her next move was, it was annoying. Whatever she did, she had to make sure she kept her lips sealed about her current affairs. 'She better not be up to her old tricks again…just one drink and I'm leaving,' she thought, now distracted from reviewing her contract.

* * *

Anna lied. This definitely wasn't the type of place she'd enjoy, in fact, she didn't think she'd ever like a place like this. This place was loud, but at least it wasn't overcrowded, probably due to the DJ spinning records from three decades ago. A nice lounge with a quieter ambience would've suited her perfectly. Despite the uppity façade Anna always projected, she knew she was more of a wild child than she let on to be. Despite her disapproval of her enviroment, Nina grinned and bared it. She was glad that she didn't get overly primped for this occasion. Her hair was pulled into her classic ponytail and she wore a black leather halter top with matching skin tight leather pants. She looked up when her sister arrived back to the booth they were sitting in.

Anna sashayed and danced over to the booth with her second drink in hand. Of course she was overdressed, wearing a tight, short, red tube dress with fishnet tights and red heels. She slid into the booth and crossed her legs. "Still on the same drink, are we? You're no fun!" she teased as she drank her vodka tonic from her glass.

Nina ordered her usual glass of scotch. She wasn't there to become inebriated, she was just there to keep her word on their truce and leave. She looked around and noticed only a few people dancing to what sounded like 80s music. 'I can't believe she dragged me here…so embarrassing.' She shook her head and took another sip of her scotch.

Her sister's silent, reticent behavior didn't go unnoticed. Getting Nina to have fun was like pulling teeth, but she still tried. "Still drinking scotch after all these years?" she asked in amusment. "You seriously only like that drink because it's all you saw father drinking when we were younger," Anna bit out, bitterly.

The silent assassin took another sip and ignored her sister's feeble attempts to anger her. 'If she keeps this up, this night will be much shorter than even I anticipated.' She smirked slightly at the thought.

Her wall was still up, but she'd get through sooner or later. "You know, as I was getting ready, I saw an interesting news story about some club being shut down because the owner choked on his vomit or something, but some were claiming that he was poisoned by stripper," she rambled on.

Nina rolled her eyes slightly at the story. 'Oh, so she's been in town long enough to hear about that? Great.' She was slightly annoyed now.

"Can you imagine? Poisoned by a stripper?" she laughed obnoxiously. "They said she called herself "Angel"…how cute is that?" Anna's voice dripped with sarcasm as she smirked. She finished her drink and pushed it aside. She propped her elbow on the table and rested her palm on her cheek. "What would father think if he were alive to see his "little angel" shaking her tits on stage? That was always his favorite nickname for you wasn't it, Nina?" she laughed mockingly.

Nina finished her drink and slapped the glass down on the table. Her eyes darkened as she glared coldly across the table at the brunette. "Keep it up, Anna, and you're going to have a bad time," she threatened angrily. She was moments away from smashing the glass upside her head, disregarding their temporary truce.

"Oh, there she is!" Anna said with delight. "I was beginning to think you were completely dead inside. Now that you've shown some type of emotion maybe we can finally have some fun," Anna smiled. She skimmed the room and saw her next victims. "I'm going to get us more drinks," she said suggestively.

Nina exhaled heavily as Anna got up from the table and waltzed towards a table full of men. She closed her eyes and shook her head. She couldn't believe she allowed Anna to get under her skin like that, but then again Anna knew how to press her buttons just like she knew how to press hers. Nina glanced down at her phone to check the time, it was almost ten. She wanted to leave soon, she had another meeting with Jin and she wanted to be well rested. Her attention fell upon Anna when she returned with more drinks. 'She can't be serious…' Nina thought with a small sigh.

Anna walked over with two shots of tequila. "Look what I have," she said in a sing-song voice. "Our friends over there said they'll keep them coming as long as we keep them entertained." She looked over to the table of men who were grinning and waving at the two beauties.

"I'm not taking shots with you, Anna," she rejected with a frown. Her sister was planning on having more fun than she was in the mood for tonight.

"What a bore! You'll never get a man acting so frigid all the time, " Anna teased. "When was the last time you even got laid?" she asked with interest, leaning in closer to hear her answer.

Nina folded her arms across her chest and glared at her younger sister. "You're awfully nosy tonight."

"I'm just interested in the well being of my favorite person in the world," the brunette joked. "Besides, what are you doing in Japan anyway? You did your little job so why are you still here?" she inquired.

"I like it here," Nina said with a feigned small smile.

"Really now?" she pried with interest. "Why don't I believe you?"

"Why would I lie to you, dear sister?" she replied with a smirk. They were locked into a staring contest for a moment before they were interrupted.

One of Anna's new "friends" walked up to the table and began attempting to make conversation with them. "So, which one of you beautiful ladies would like to dance with me?" he asked, grinning like a mad fool.

Nina smirked again and looked at Anna. "Looks like you better give them some entertainment," she suggested. There was no way in hell that she was going to waste her time consorting with drunken bar flies.

Of course she knew Nina wasn't going to humor their new acquaintances, so she was on her own, as usual. "Well, the least you can do is take this shot with me!" Anna snapped crankily while grabbing her glass.

Nina rolled her eyes and grabbed the glass before they both took the shot in unison. She ignored the burn of the liquor and watched as her sister danced provocatively with the man to some terrible 80s snyth music along with some other rhythm-less fools flailing about on the dance floor. After dancing for a few songs, they went to the bar where they both took another shot. 'Idiot!' Nina thought as she watched her sister. 'She can't be that stupid…he's clearly trying to get her drunk enough to go home with him, but that's none of my business.' She should just leave her there and go home, but she would mentally kick herself about it all night and she didn't want that keeping her up. She cradled her face in her palm and shook her head again. Anna was always a burden on her life.

After a few more songs played, Nina grew impatient and decided that it was really time to go. She scanned the room and saw that Anna was now seated with the man, laughing flirtatiously and loudly at whatever joke was made. There was no joke in the world that funny for her to be laughing like that. It was obvious that she had indulged in more drinks when she wasn't looking. Nina got up and walked over to the table and grabbed Anna by her wrist. "Nina, let go of me!" she protested.

Nina took a good look at Anna and shook her head. She was very flushed and her eyes were glassy. She was definitely drunk. "Get up, we're leaving. I have to get up early," she stated firmly. After much tugging, she was finally able to get the brunette on her feet. In a move she didn't expect, Anna grabbed her by her hand and began dancing around to some song that had started playing. "Anna!" Nina grunted in annoyance.

Anna began dancing around to an old song that she loved. Nina kept trying to pull her from the dance floor, but Anna successfully grabbed onto her wrists and began swiveling her hips around to the song. "Nina! This is our song!" she shouted happily over the music. "Don't you remember? Remember?" Anna asked.

Nina had no recollection of liking this song…ever. What was she talking about? Anna still attempted to dance with her, spinning her around with her and gyrating to the beat, despite her resistance. The table of men looked at them as if they were amused by their tiff on the dance floor. She shook her head. "I don't remember…now let's get out of here, you're drunk," she urged. After this night, she was so done with Anna and her antics.

Anna looked disappointed for a moment. "Nina! You had this record…we used to listen to it all the time when we were home alone," Anna kept talking, desperately trying to trigger an old memory within her sister. "Remember I accidently broke it and you were mad at me for weeks? I know you remember that," she added with a little laugh. She looked into her sister's eyes as if she were desperately searching for something.

Nina stared at her blankly, trying to make sense of what she was telling her. She took a moment to listen to the song, but despite her efforts she couldn't recall anything. It was hard for her to remember things on command. She shook her head again, sadly disappointed with herself for being unable to remember much from her previous life. She shrugged. "Sorry, I can't-" Nina was cut short when it looked like Anna was going to vomit. "Anna! Don't!" she cried out.

It was too late, Anna puked onto the dance floor. "Oh god…" she groaned as she clamped her hand over her mouth.

"For fucks sake, Anna!" she exclaimed, grossed out by the vomit on her shoes. Nina, despite her disgust and embarassment, quickly ushered her sister out of the club as discreetly as possible, ignoring any onlookers. She had to put her in a cab so that she could get her home.

Once she was able to hail a cab, she loaded Anna in and once inside, she slumped over onto the seat. The cab driver grew worried that she would throw up and stated, "She's too drunk! I can't take her anywhere without an escort."

"Are you joking? She's fine!" Nina said angrily to the cab driver. "Anna? Anna! Tell him where you live! Are in staying at a hotel?" She drilled her with questions, but she only mumbled something incoherent in return.

"Where to, ma'am? If you're not getting in with her, you have to get her out!" the cab driver warned her.

Nina gritted her teeth in annoyance. "Move over!" she snapped at her younger sibling who didn't respond. She pushed Anna over so that she could climb into the cab with her. She reluctantly gave the driver her address. She couldn't wait until this night was over. She was going to give Anna the beating of a lifetime the next time they met on the battlefield.

* * *

It was another late night for him, and unfortunately he had found it exceedingly difficult to fall asleep now that he was finally able to lay down in bed. After a few meetings that ended in him being called every name under the sun by the former business associates of the Mishima Zaibatsu under his grandfather's control, he knew he'd have some new enemies to add to the list. He severed ties and cut funding from other companies that the Mishima Zaibatsu was formerly affiliated with. He would need that funding to finance the war he was starting, but of course the board members were greatly offended by his actions and swore that he would pay with his life. It didn't bother him, he had received numerous death threats anonymously and directly on a daily basis. It would be all over once he achieved his true goal.

As the days rolled on, he could hear the voice of the ancient beast reverberating louder in his thoughts, sometimes waking him from his sleep as it beckoned him to release it from its seal. This caused the devil within him to stir even more. He was anxious to come face to face with the great beast, but until that time came he would have to do his best to keep it under control. It would be like killing two birds with one stone. He would rid the world of an ancient evil while finally being able to purge the cursed blood from his body…for good.

Jin wished he could will himself to fall asleep, but there were so many things racing through his mind at the moment that it was driving him wild. He had remembered his second meeting with the fair-haired assassin tomorrow and thought back to their meeting earlier in the day. He didn't show it, but he was extremely relieved that she finally agreed to be his bodyguard. Her presence would hopefully deter many of his pursuers, since her reputation had preceded her, and he could travel more without worrying about being murdered in cold blood. Hiring someone that nearly killed him years ago seemed insane at first, but he was impressed with her skill, even if she was a puppet under Ogre's control. 'Does she even remember that fight we had years ago? She fought with extremely precise and deadly moves, but with no passion behind her skill due to that beast's mental grip over her. Had it not been for my unwavering passion to kill Ogre to avenge my mother…Nina could have overcome me.' He reflected silently as he stared up at his ceiling in his dark room.

It would be strange for him to be working closely with a partner from now on, especially since he had been a loner since his mother died. He never saw the purpose of getting close to anyone after that heartbreak, but now his strong adversion to others as due to his Devil Gene and his fear of hurting and killing anyone who attempted to get near him. Would he have to tell Nina, or would he be able to carefully mask his dark secret from her? 'I can't let her know…she'll leave. Hopefully, she'll never have to find out…I'll have to do my best to control it,' Jin vowed to himself. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand and the bright neon green numbers indicated that it was well past midnight. He would need the aid of sleeping pills to help put him down for the night. It was a cheap way to guarantee sleep, but it was better than tossing and turning all night with the deep feeling of malaise keeping him up all night.

* * *

It had been one hellish night, and she would have silently seethed all night long whilst wishing death upon the woman lying next to her had it not been for the alcohol in her system making her feel relaxed and drowsy. She had slept at least, but it would have been a hell of a lot more satisfying if she didn't have to babysit the drunkard next to her. She had woken up first, tired with a slight headache, and she looked at the phone and saw that it was a little past 6 a.m. The tired blonde covered her face with her palms. 'Never again…I can't believe this shit!' Nina thought, thoroughly irritated with her sister's behavior last night. She looked over to the brunette in her bed beside her and glared at her angrily as she slept.

She remembered them stumbling into her apartment after the cab ride and they made it back just in time since Anna had to puke again, luckily this time in her toilet. She had only removed Anna's shoes before flopping her down on the bed. Nina had to hide anything that would give her sister any clues concerning her business affairs, such as her laptop and her contract with the Mishima Zaibatsu. Her shoes were ruined, she didn't get enough sleep, and her annoying little sister disgraced her with her presence. This trifecta of problems was enough to put her in a bad mood for the next three days.

Anna finally stirred in her sleep and groaned tiredly as she rolled over in bed with her brown hair tousled all over her head and her makeup smudged under her eyes. Her blue eyes finally fluttered open and she was greeted with another pair of fiercely blue eyes boring into hers. She rubbed her eyes with her hand and yawned. "Nina…what happened last night?" she grumbled in a low voice. She had a hang over, but she usually bounced back quickly from them.

"You got shit-faced…that's what happened!" Nina snapped. "You owe me a new pair of shoes," she added, wasting no time to air out her grievances.

"Oops," Anna said with a tired laugh as she looked up at the angry blonde. "Well, I still had fun, did you?"

"I had fun watching you make a fool out of yourself dancing to that cheesy music," Nina teased with a smirk. She noticed that Anna's expression seemed saddened at the mention of that.

"You really don't remember anything…do you?" Anna asked again, her voice now almost a low whisper. Not all of her sister's memories were bad, but she knew she purposely kept herself from trying to recall much from her past due to that reason.

Nina stared at her for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and averting her gaze from hers. As Anna tried, she always failed in her little venture to help her remember her forgotten past. Sure she was able to recall some major events from her past, but it was the little things that she had completely lost after cryosleep. It was useless to stress herself over it, so she decided to just move on from her former life. There was a surprisingly rare but comforting silence between them as they laid in bed in the dark room just mere moments away from sunrise. It was nice. It could be years, if ever at all, for another moment like this to occur between them.

After a few minutes, Anna finally said, "I miss moments like this," she murmured as she somewhat reminisced about past moments her sister couldn't remember. Too bad it wouldn't last for long. Tiredly, Anna lifted herself up from the bed with another yawn and looked around the room. Small and tasteless were the only words that came to mind to describe the place. "Oh, Nina, is this really where you're living now? Business must be slow for you, no wonder you turned to stripping," Anna poked fun at her once again with a chuckle.

Nina folded her arms and shook her head at her jab. She then smirked, "I only copied a few of your showy dance moves and poses to get them excited," she jested with a ghost of a smile.

"Oh, really? Well you certainly learned from the best," Anna said with a brow raised in amusment. Once she slipped on her shoes, she grabbed her purse to pull out her cellphone to order a cab.

Nina finally got up and intended to start getting ready for her second meeting. Now that Anna was out of her hair she could finally perform her morning routine. She watched Anna open the door, getting ready to embark on her walk of shame, and stared at her for a moment. Now that their night of truce was over, their cease fire was over and they'd resume their warring. They barely got along, and if they did it was only in small doses. "Goodbye, Anna," the blonde said dryly.

Anna spun around once more before leaving and smirked, "It's been fun, but this changes nothing," the brunette said as she walked out and closed the door behind her.

It was finally over, now it was time to get back to business. Her sister had definitely encroached in on her territory, thus throwing her world of routine and order temporarily off balance. At least she was up early enough to make the meeting on time.

* * *

By the good graces of the time gods, both of them had arrived for their follow meeting on time, 8 a.m. sharp. Now that they were both in attendance, he had only hoped that it went smoothly. To save time, he had requested for his secretary to bring them the same hot beverages from yesterday along with some other refreshments beforehand. Jin sat in his large leather chair and observed the blonde across from him as she quietly sipped her tea and nibbled from a small crumpet. She seemed to be in a quiet, pensive mood this morning. Perhaps she was feeling a little drowsy like he was. He had probably taken that sleeping pill too late, and being that it was quite potent, he still felt the lingering effects of it. He rested his cheek on his fist and figured he'd practice reading her body language to better understand her. The assassin normally had an impregnable wall up, but it had fell down temporarily as she seemed faraway in thought at present. He would give a penny for her thoughts, but he dared not to disturb her. He remained silent.

That damned Anna. It had started once she showered, continued on in her cab ride to the Mishima Zaibatsu Central Tower, and persisted as she sat in front of Jin. She couldn't get that cheesy song out of her head. Somehow, the more it echoed in her head, the more it seemed recognizable. 'Sometimes I feel I've got run away, I've got to get away from the pain you drive into our being…once I ran to you, now I run from you, this tainted love you've given…' The lyrics and melody of the song invaded her thoughts. A quick flash of herself and a teenaged Anna danced through her mind, spinning around together in a nicely furnished bedroom in their nightgowns. If she tried hard enough, she could remember. For once, it was an old, pleasant memory. Nina smiled to herself, genuinely for the first in a long time.

The raven haired man was nearly taken aback by the smile gracing the blonde's features. It made him even more curious about her. He smirked at her in interest, but quickly tried to conceal his amused look as the woman finally turned her attention to him. It was as if she had finally decided to acknowlegde him after they had initially greeted each other. Before he could open his mouth to speak, she beat him to it.

After setting her teacup down and finishing her crumpet, she decided to get down to business. "I've signed your contract, but I have a few inquiries about these waivers I must sign," she mentioned as she flipped to the page of interest. "All employees are subject to being watched and followed at all times?" she asked as she shot her gaze up to meet his.

He didn't understand why that was a problem. It was standard practice. "It shouldn't concern you if you have nothing to hide," he replied bluntly.

Nina raised a brow. "I don't, it just seems weird. Are there cameras in your office?"

"No, only outside of my door," he answered calmly. He had a just reason to maintain his privacy. "Anything else?"

"And do you constantly watch over everything or does your security team take on that task?" she further pressed.

"I, unfortunately, don't have time for such a miniscule job," he answered as he shook his head. "My security team sends me reports. Anything else?"

Nina locked eyes with him as she tried to make sense of this jumbled mess of a man. That tired, drowsy look in his eyes were the clear workings of a good sleeping pill. His usual lethargic nature seemed more evident, he seemed half dead. Nina shook her head and moved on to her last question. "This last one…"employees are encouraged not to let personal family relationships or otherwise interfere with their duties"...that's a bit much, don't you think?"

"That shouldn't concern you…considering-"

"Considering what?" Nina interrupted with a scowl forming on her face. He was on the brink of over stepping his boundaries with her pretty soon. She wouldn't tolerate that kind of disrespect from anyone. Who the hell did he think he was?

Jin could see the fire igniting in her sapphire eyes. He probably shouldn't have insinuated that. He was very bad at communicating and expressing himself properly at times. He was going to issue his new bodyguard a formal apology until his intercom interrupted him.

"Mr. Kazama!" a woman's voice screeched. A lot of commotion was heard in the background because she didn't let go of the 'talk' button right away.

"What do you want? I'm in a meeting!" he shot at her in annoyance.

" Mr. Kazama…Ka-Kazuya Mishima is here to see you…he already b-broke past the guards and h-he's on his way up!" she stammered nervously in a panicked tone.

Jin sat back into his chair and smirked. This was going to be interesting. 'He finally accepted my invitation to engage in this war with me. This will be the catalyst of it all. It begins now…' Jin thought with smug satisfaction. He had almost forgotten about the blonde woman before him.

Nina had no idea what was going to happen, but somehow she didn't really want to stick around for this chaotic family reunion. Perhaps it was time to go. 'Fucking Kazuya Mishima…that prick!' she thought angrily. The sight of him would sicken her, but somehow she wanted to see what had caused him to become so angry that he would leave from G-Corp to personally harass Jin. Despite their minor discrepancies, Jin was her employer now and once she signed that dotted line his life would be in her hands. The assassin stood up and walked over to join Jin by his side. She reached into her open blazer and gripped the gun behind her back.

Her actions didn't go unnoticed by Jin. He was glad that she was fully onboard and ready for what may come, but he knew his father was only here to give him a verbal beating. However, things could get out of hand really quickly once they were face to face. He smirked as he looked over to Nina and said, "Welcome to the Mishima Zaibatsu, Ms. Williams."

The door burst open as Kazuya kicked the door down and walked into his office with rage filled eyes. His demonic red eye seemed to glow as if he had a hellfire burning within him. "You pitiful, useless, insolent bastard," he shouted crudely to his son. "Who the fuck do you think you are? I will destroy you and everything you stand for!" He calmly strode towards the pair despite his anger.

Jin folded his hands in his lap and let out a low laugh. "Is G Corporation suffering from those lost shares?" he taunted smugly. His latest business moves had hit the airwaves and most of the companies he had bankrupted also had secret affiliations with G Corp, probably unbeknownst to Heihachi. He knew his father would notice a stark difference in his company's stocks.

"What game are you playing, you pathetic whelp?" Kazuya sneered. "I let you have your fun, but now you've crossed into a point of no return. I will end you. G Corp is an enemy you don't want to have…you hear me, boy?!" he yelled as he slammed his fists down onto his desk, causing the surface to crack from the powerful impact. The two Mishimas were locked into an intense staring match until someone broke the silence.

"Are you finished yet?" Nina chimed in. She had other business to attend to, but she wouldn't be able to leave until the maniac in front of them left them in peace.

"Shut your damn mouth, woman!" he instantly snapped at her. Kazuya had completely disregarded the woman standing next to Jin as he entered, mistaking her for another one of his secretaries, but upon closer inspection he knew she wasn't an average paper pusher. His eyes narrowed at her. "You…" he growled at her indignantly. She looked like she hadn't aged a day since she was revived from cryosleep. He folded his arms and looked over to his son and back to the blonde assassin and smirked in amusement. "You're going to send this woman after me again? She will fail miserably to kill me…just like the last time," he said mockingly as he bored his intimidating gaze into her eyes.

Nina could feel the fury boiling over within her as she was faced with an old enemy. He was truly a maliciously cruel man that deserved to die. Her grip tightened on her gun, but she knew the moment she fired at him all hell would break loose within the office. She glanced over at Jin, who was watching her from the corners of his eyes. He shook his head. She knew what he meant. She relaxed her grip on the gun and instead rested her hand on Jin's chair. "Time has taken its toll on you, Kazuya," Nina remarked. She could see his lip curl upwards in annoyance. "Well, at least your suits still look nice," she retorted sarcastically.

Instead of letting her meaningless words bother him, he chuckled. "Hmph, your affiliation with him will get you killed. Surely you can find better work with a more competent employer," he paused as he glared at Jin. "Your talents would be put to better use at G Corp." He didn't know how Jin had come into contact with the assassin, but if he could break them up, he could decrease Jin's chances for survival in the war he was trying to initiate.

Jin shifted in his seat, slightly aggravated that he would try to snatch his newly hired bodyguard away from him right before his eyes. He glared at Kazuya with pure hatred at this point, but he was really waiting to see Nina's reaction. He kept quiet as the blonde and his father stared at each other.

Nina looked Kazuya up and down with nothing but disdain. He was stark raving mad and disillusioned if he ever thought she'd work for him, especially after the permanent damage he inflicted on her life. She laughed softly to herself before glaring at her boss' father while shaking her head before declaring, "I've already pledged my services to Mr. Kazama."

"Hmph, don't say I didn't warn you," he said upon having his offer turned down. He returned his attention to his pitiful offspring and added, "If it's war you want, you will get it. Let's see how well you fare, boy." He smiled smugly before turning away from the duo and leaving the office.

Jin glared at him as he watched his father walk down the hall. He had a clear view since his door had been broken down from its hinges. 'For all that you've done to me…my mother…you will pay,' he thought as he seethed silently. He was snapped from his thoughts when the woman next to him turned his chair towards her and leaned down to meet his gaze. She seemed greatly displeased, her blue eyes were fierce with anger once more. He just stared at her in return.

How the hell did that even happen? His greatest enemy just practically waltzed in with no repercusisons. Where were his forces? Security even? "Your security is quite shitty, Kazama," she said frankly. "Why didn't anyone respond to this immediate threat ASAP?" She drilled him with questions, hoping to get some answers from him.

"No one is allowed on this level without my direct permission. I prefer to have my privacy," he revealed. His privacy was paramount.

"Your privacy will need to be infringed upon if you want to survive. You need more men on watch in the main building. This floor can't be off limits to anyone if-" she was interrupted.

"This floor is off limits to everyone…except you," Jin said candidly. He stood up and she backed away from his chair as he stood to his height. "This is why I need you. I know you don't fully trust me, but I expect you to give me your full loyalty, especially with the price I'm willing to pay for you," Jin stated, finally being straightforward about what he wanted.

Nina folded her arms across her chest and sighed. "I'm at your service, but you better be willing to make some changes," she suggested.

Jin nodded his head and wondered how her presence would have an impact on his life from this point forth. He was surprisingly interested in how they would get along considering their somewhat rocky start.

* * *

Phew! I hope this wasn't too long! There's plenty more to come...I just need to decide where to place the chapter breaks in my document. Oh BTW, the song was Tainted Love by Soft Cell (I was obsessed with listening to it over the summer lol).

P.S. Did anyone see that new trailer? Wasn't it amazing? I can't wait to play T7! I'm so happy Nina has a major role! R&R


	5. Devilish Deals

Hey everyone, I'm back with another chapter! Thanks again for the reviews and follows! For the earlier chapters I think I'm going to keep a T rating, but due to to different "themes" that'll pop up in later chapters I might bump it up to a M rating...just to be safe.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, they are all property of Namco.

* * *

Perhaps this was a bad time to visit, things seemed awfully chaotic at the moment at G Corp. What was going on? It was her last night in town before she'd move on to her next venture, an extended holiday in Athens. Before she left, she thought she'd drop by to visit an old affiliate of hers to see how things were going for him, but things didn't seem to be going well at all. Everyone seemed very agitated as if something bad had recently happened. Her heels clicked on the marble floor as she walked up to the main desk in the lobby. The secretary looked her up and down and shot her a mean look. Jealousy, as usual, but she was used to receiving those looks from other women. "I'm here to see Kazuya Mishima," she announced to the secretary.

The woman shook her head with a fake smile. "If you don't have an appointment, then you can't see him. Besides, it's not the best time to bother him," she informed.

"Oh, nonsense! Just call him and tell him I'm here to see him!" she ordered with a huff. This little bitch definitely shouldn't get on her bad side.

The woman shook her head again with a tight smile and replied, "I'm sorry, I can't do that, but I can leave a message for him." She tilted her head with a now smug look.

She leaned over her desk and glared at the woman intently, causing her to lean back away from her. "Call him," she commanded sternly. If this went on any longer she would reach over the desk and slap that bitchy look from her face.

The secretary rolled her eyes in annoyance and mumbled something under her breath as she used the intercom on her desk to page her boss. "Mr. Mishima, there's a miss…what's your name?" she asked dryly.

"Anna Williams," the brunette replied curtly with a smirk.

The woman rolled her eyes and finished, "Anna Williams is here to see you, sir." There was a long pause before an answer was received, causing the woman to look up at the brunette bimbo with yet another smug look.

"Send her up," the man finally answered.

Anna smirked at the now dumbstruck woman. "Thank you, darling," she said as she walked towards the elevator to go to the top floor. On her elevator ride up, she primped herself and checked her makeup in her ornate compact mirror. She wore her favorite red dress with her best pair of t-strap red pumps, she was always dressed to impress.

The elevator dinged and she walked to the office at the end of the long hall. Once she was at the large wooden doors, she gave a courteous knock before entering his office. She looked around and it was awfully dark in the room. Was he in a bad mood or something? "Kazuya?" she called out as she walked around the large office cautiously. Where was he?

"What are you doing here?" a dark, deep voice asked.

Anna whipped her head towards the voice. It came from the leather chair turned towards the large glass windows in his office. She could see his silhouette now. He seemed to be brooding about something…as usual. She walked towards his desk and took a seat on it with her legs crossed. "What's going on, why are you so glum?" she asked. "Is there anything I can do to cheer you up?" she added flirtatiously with a smile. The sound of the chair swiveling around caught her attention.

Kazuya turned around in his chair to face the vivacious brunette sitting on his desk. Even with his office dimmed down, he could see that she, just like her sister, still remained untouched by the ravages of time. He remembered her aiding him all those years ago in thwarting her sister's assassination attempt against him when she served as his bodyguard. He was still pissed about his encounter with his son earlier, but after a few hours alone in the dark to gather his thoughts he had calmed down. When he heard about the younger Williams sister coming to see him, he became curious about what business she had with him. "You came here to see me, so what do you want?" he asked again, getting straight to the point.

He was definitely in a bad mood, but she could reverse that. "I just wanted to see your face, darling, it's my last night in town," Anna flirted suggestively as she removed one of her red arm-length gloves and tossed it onto his lap.

The devilish man smirked as he picked the glove up from his lap and clutched it in his hand. He was hardly ever cool to her advances, but tonight his mind was too preoccupied to indulge in his carnal desires. However, he knew the little coquette would be hard to shake off. "Hmph, not tonight, I have to clean up my son's mess," he said contemptuously. She surprised him when she crossed over to the other side of his desk and sat down in his lap.

Anna flashed him a sexy smile as she placed a bare finger to his lips. "Still worrying about that sad little boy?" she asked in a soft voice. "Do you want me to kill him for you?" She stared into his eyes, his glowing, red eye captured her attention immediately, it was almost hypnotizing.

Kazuya was amused now. He had to admit that the feeling of her body pressing against his did relieve some of his tension. He stared back into her blue eyes and said, "Hmph, if you tried, you'd have to go through your sister." He revealed this information to her with another smirk.

Her brows furrowed slightly as he informed her of this. "What do you mean?" she questioned, needing more clarification.

"Your sister and my bastard son have formed an alliance. He hired her, presumably as his personal bodyguard," he continued. "I have been putting out a few hits on him, as well as many other people who want him dead, so he needed someone to save his neck." Kazuya was almost surprised that she was oblivious of this.

'Nina, you sneaky little bitch! She lied to me…I knew she was hiding something!' Anna thought. 'Well, our truce is over so it's game on, bitch.' The brunette was slightly peeved by this information. Kazuya seized her attention by clenching her jaw in his hand, forcing her to look at him. She smiled again. She had almost forgotten that they were in the middle of something. "Don't worry, dear, I'll help you get rid of those little nuisances," Anna promised in a sultry tone.

Kazuya smirked evilly as she offered to rejoin forces with him. It would be just like old times. Hopefully, he would be able to turn the tables and effectively usurp his wretched son from the Mishima Zaibatsu. He forcefully pressed his lips against hers as they joined in a rough, passionate kiss.

* * *

The last few weeks had taken its toll on her. There was so much to do and so little time to get everything done. After settling in to her new lodgings at the Mishima Zaibatsu, she had to take a crash course in learning the in and outs concerning various operations taking place within the company. She had attended several business meetings with Jin to learn about the inner workings of his business deals and why he needed to make the difficult decisions he made to keep the company on top. He was ruthless in the boardroom, showing little to no emotion or sympathy for the pleas he received to reverse his decisions.

After playing a working girl, she had become acquainted with the captains of several Tekken Force divisions and about the missions and drills they performed in preparation for the war that was on the horizon. She had wondered if Jin would let her join in on the fun, but he was adamant about limiting her job to just shadowing him for most of the day. All work and no play. Hopefully, in the future she'd be able to accompany them on their missions. Being on the battlefield was where she would get the most exhiliaration, but for now she was denied the opportunity and would have to settle for being a skilled watcher.

Much to her surprise, Jin had allowed her to do a complete overhaul on his security procedures. It would be a lot more difficult for just anyone, especially Kazuya Mishima, to waltz in unmolested by security or without clearing several checkpoints. Honestly, as flawed as his security system was, she was surprised that someone hadn't killed him already. Speaking of which, she had to keep monitoring bounty lists to make sure she knew who exactly had the gall to come after Jin so that she can kill them before they had the chance to get close to him. Not many people had accepted the hits placed on him, but whoever did would probably be more formidable than an average skilled bounty hunter. She would be prepared for anything.

It was evening now, and Nina was on her way to Jin's office complete her final check in with him before she retired for the night. There was nothing much to report this night, unless he wanted to hear about a few minor reports about a few members of the Tekken Force being caught gambling on company grounds. Things were slow now, but in a few months time complete chaos would ensue once Jin's war was in full swing. As she neared closer to the office doors, she was surprised to see a familiar face emerge from the office. As they were in closer ear shot of one another she spoke. "Hey, Eddy, is everything okay?" she asked casually. She had recognized him as a repeat competitor in past tournaments, but they had become more closely acquainted once they were formally introduced by Jin.

The Brazilian fighter nodded his head to the blonde assassin with a small smile. "Yeah…just discussing some things with Jin," he said plainly with a blank face.

Nina placed a hand on her hip as she looked the man over. His body language revealed to her that he seemed a bit dejected or upset. She wasn't usually the type to pry into other people's business, but he seemed more melancholy than usual. "Is he in a bad mood tonight? Just ignore it and don't let him get under your skin," she advised. "Sometimes after he's been an asshole he tries to make up for it…sometimes." Nina smirked while she thought back on some of her past experiences with the moody CEO.

"Well, I doubt it, but we'll see," Eddy forced a chuckle with a small smile. "Good luck in there…see you around, Nina," he said as he walked off.

She knew there was something else troubling him, but she didn't have the patience or the time to figure out what was wrong with the man. She sighed as she turned around and entered the office. She usually didn't need his permission to enter, plus he always knew who approached his door since he had video surveillance outside of his office. His office had undergone some renovations to repair the damage inflicted upon it after Kazuya's last visit. She stepped in and saw Jin sitting back in his chair, appearing to be lacking in exuberance as usual. 'Oh boy, here we go,' Nina thought as she rubbed her temples before crossing over to sit on one of the large black leather sofas in the middle of the room. She glanced over to the bar, a new addition to his office, and contemplated making a drink, but she decided against it tonight.

Finally turning her attention to the raven-haired man at the desk, she noticed that he really seemed to be out of it. Was he fatigued or just upset? "Jin?" she called out to him from the sofa. No response. "Jin, are you okay?" she asked again. She knew he couldn't be sleeping because Eddy had just visited him. The blonde finally got up to check on him, feeling a bit worried at this point. She placed her palms on his desk and observed him by leaning in closer to him. Beneath the dark bangs covering his eyes and shadowing his face, she noticed that his visage seemed to be pallid.

"Seriously, answer me right now!" Nina snapped as she walked around his desk and placed her hands on his broad shoulders to shake him awake. He barely budged. She then pressed two fingers to his throat to check his pulse. It was slow and steady, but not a normal rate, and she also noticed that he felt a bit cold to the touch. Nina quickly reached into the pocket of her blazer and pulled out her phone to call the medical wing to get him to the hospital. With shaky hands she proceeded to press a few buttons to complete the call until she felt someone seize her by the wrist. She gasped loudly, more than she would have liked to after the sudden startle.

Jin held onto her wrist as he slowly came to. He had heard her voice piercing through his subconscious when he was in a trance state. After Eddy had left, he felt his mind slipping into darkness as his Devil side had tried to gain control of his mind again. There was something that his other side wanted to do, but he didn't know if the time was right just yet, but if it was appease his darker half and keep him at bay, he had to do it. 'Why does he want me to go there so soon? It's not time yet…despite the taunting voice of that beast, I will have to stay strong,' he thought. He needed to get it off his mind and distract himself with something else. He could feel eyes burning holes into the side of his head and he slowly turned to face the icy glare of the woman standing next to him. What had he done now?

What the hell was going on with him? He was seriously beginning to creep her out with his weird behavior as of late. What was he hiding? Nina looked down at her wrist that he was still clutching in his hand and brought her gaze back to his tranquil eyes. "You can let go now," she said in an agitated tone. He completely made her lose her composure and now she was on edge.

Jin could see the anger, confusion, and worry dancing around in her cerulean eyes and he gave her a small wry smile. He still held onto her wrist for a moment, slightly reveling in the fact that it was the first time they'd established skin to skin contact, before releasing his grip on her. The blonde assassin exhaled loudly as she looked at him with a displeased expression. She was always either displeased or angry when she was around him, and admittedly her displeasure made him feel uneasy. He watched her as she sauntered over to his new bar and made herself a drink. He would asked her to make him one, but something in his mind advised him against it. He remained silent as he observed her behavior. Her hands were still shaking a little as she poured her drink. It was then he realized that she, too, even as a trained killing machine, could feel fear. Even from the bar, she glared at him in silence. "Are you unhappy here?" Jin asked unexpectedly.

Nina sat her glass down on the bar after taking a few sips, initially ignoring his question, not out of rudeness, but to ponder why he would even ask it seeing how it seemed to be the most irrelevant question to ask given the current situation. She was actually surprised at herself for reacting the way she did. She rarely let her composed mask slip, but seeing him sitting there looking so pale and lifeless shook her up a bit. "It doesn't matter," she answered evenly. "Besides, this is about you. What was that all about?"

It was only a matter of time before their constant time spent together would reveal some of his _eccentricies_ to her. He wanted to tell her everything about him then and there, but he feared the outcome of doing so for reasons unbeknownst to himself. Until then, he would have to settle for lying to keep his secret safe a little longer. "I've been taking some experimental sleeping pills made by the Mishima Research Laboratory," he lied flawlessly. "However, the side effects are too dangerous…I'll inform the reserachers about them later."

Sleeping pills? She had taken some potent sleeping pills back in her day, but none of which resulted in her falling into a near death state. He must've had some severe form of insomnia if he turned to those mad scientists in the Mishima Laboratory. 'Well, I guess that explains why he's so lifeless and lethargic most of the time, but even so…something's still strange about him,' the blonde thought suspiciously.

"Any news for me?" he asked, hoping to change the subject. He watched as she finally felt relaxed enough to leave the bar before sitting on the sofa. As usual, she crossed her legs, which gave him a nice view of her creamy legs in her black skirt. Well, he found his distraction from his dark thoughts.

"Nothing that would concern you. I'm just completing my final check in with you before I go to bed," she said truthfully. Good thing she did, who knows what could have happened to him if she hadn't dropped by. "Did Eddy have anything to report?" she asked out of curiosity. Though she had dismissed it earlier, she was somewhat interested in what had caused Eddy to look so discouraged.

Jin folded his arms and looked at her intently. He saw no reason to lie to her about the business he and Eddy shared, but since he was a friendly acquiantance of hers he wondered what her reaction would be. "He came to me to check on the condition of his master," he said with a small sigh. "In exchange for his services on the Tekken Force, I offered to have his master hospitalized at the Mishima Research Facility to receive the best treatment available. He paused when he saw Nina frown at his words. She seemed a bit upset, surprisingly.

She may have been a bringer of death, but she knew all too well that the impending death of a loved one was all too heartbreaking. Before she had learned to detach herself from emotions, she always had issues with lamenting the deaths of her targets in the past as a rookie, especially if she was unfortunate enough to see the pain she had caused to a crying mother, a devastated father, a mournful widow, or a sobbing child. "His master…is he going to pull through? Is there hope?" Nina asked in a low voice.

This was the hard part, but by telling her he hoped for her understanding of his reasoning. He tilted his head downward and shook his head slowly. "His illness has progressed too far," he revealed to her solemnly. "At this point, they're only keeping him alive, but his prognosis for recovery isn't high." Jin truly felt sorry for Eddy's pedicament, but he didn't want his sympathy to affect his ability to make sound judgements.

Nina ran her fingers through her blonde ponytail before letting a deep sigh escape her lips. "Poor Eddy…no wonder he looked so upset," Nina said with a shake of her head. "At least you had the heart to tell him."

"I didn't," Jin confessed regrettably. "I only shared this information with you and I expect you to keep this information confidential."

Her blue eyes snapped up towards him instantly in shock. How could he sit there so calmly after keeping such vital information from a fellow comrade? "Jin…" his name lingered on her lips for a moment. "Why didn't you tell him? He has a right to know."

"Hearing such bad news will negatively impact his performance. It's best if he doesn't know for now," he admitted. Her face expressed great disapproval at his words. He prepared for her chastisement, but instead she remained silent. This caused him to look up at her as she sat on the sofa quietly while cradling her face in her palm, possibly to mask her disappointment in him. Jin already didn't feel good about his choices, but seeing her reaction made him feel even lower.

Perhaps she expected a little more honesty from him, but it just proved to her that she would never truly know him because he constantly lived in secrecy. Whatever his reasons were, she wouldn't question him, only follow his lead. However, she only wished he knew how to give more respect and consideration to those risking everything to achieve his obscure goals. Nina stood up from the couch and straightened her skirt out as she prepared to retreat to her quarters. She wanted to be well rested and prepared for whatever may come in the next few days. The blonde turned to her boss and said, "Goodnight, Jin." Besides that, she had nothing else to say to him…she couldn't even think of a witty remark to lighten the mood.

As she turned away, he watched her walk to the door, her ponytail swaying side to side with each step. He knew that she was upset with him, but she attempted to mask it. "Nina," he watched her pause in step and look back at him over her shoulder. His breath hitched slightly as he searched for the right words to say to her. "Please don't think I'm a terrible person…it's just complicated…"

"Jin, it's okay. We may not agree on everything, but remember it's not my place to judge you," Nina said reassuringly.

"Thank you," he said quietly as she finally left him in peace. He didn't like having secrets to hide, but in time he would feel more comfortable telling her everything.

* * *

End of chapter 5!

I know everyone hates T6 Jin, but to me his new role gave him a little more depth, same for Nina since it was the first time we saw heavy interaction between characters outside of those painfully short ending movies. I'm going to try to build a little more depth beyond the one dimensional portrayals of these characters we see in games. I will update you soon! R&R!


	6. Trust Me

New chapter! Enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, they are all property of Namco.

In a completely unforeseen event and to everyone's surprise, G Corp had decided to make its first move. It was a completely random attack in the middle of the night around 2300 hours at the Mishima military air base. Despite being wholly unprepared for the assault, the Tekken Force unit stationed at the base were able to defend their position and prevent the G Corp soldiers from completely overwhelming them with barely any casualties. The attack on the base was completely unprovoked and unexpected, but it was clear that it was an invitation to heighten the conflict between the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation.

Jin had received the call early in the morning after the conflct had resided, and unfortunately he had to call an emergency meeting with the Captain of the unit that defended the base, Lars Alexandersson, along with Eddy and Nina. It was nearly three in the morning he knew that neither of them had had a sufficient amount of sleep, but the circumstances called for all of their immediate attention. He paced in front of his large office windows slowly as he tried to think of his next course of action. 'Why would he randomly send his soldiers to attack my base? What is he really after? Damn you, Kazuya…' he pondered silently to himself. He stopped pacing and turned towards the other three occupants in his office.

"Captain Alexandersson, how many soldiers did you say were involved in the attack and how did they get in?" he asked.

The Swedish man stood to attention as he answered his superior. "A score of them, sir. They must've been dropped in by helicopter not too far from our base before they arrived and began opening fire on our men, injuring some, but luckily no fatalities. After defending our position, they quickly retreated into the night," the blond man reported.

Eddy folded his arms as he tried to understand the motives behind the attack. After hearing about the incident he visited the base to see the aftermath of the damage and he just got a strange vibe from the entire situation. "It doesn't make sense. Their tactics were abnormal. It almost seems like they're toying with us or were there to cause a distraction," he weighed in.

Jin thought on his words for a moment. That seemed very feasible. His father was after something, but he didn't know exactly what it was. Whatever it was, it wouldn't stop him from moving on to the next step of his plan. "It is very odd, but now that he has made the first move we'll have to strengthen our defenses and retaliate if necessary," Jin said, attempting to shield his amusement. 'What a petty attempt at trying to inconvenience me…deluded fool,' he thought with a small smirk.

Nina, who had remained quiet until now, began to piece together the information in her head with another conclusion in mind. She touched her finger to her lips as she formulated her own input on this situation. "It's clear that they came there with a purpose, an ulterior motive you might say," she surmised as she looked directly at Jin, ignoring the stares from the other two men.

He was surprised that she had anything to say at all seeing as how she looked completely drained upon arriving at his office at such an early hour in the morning. Jin stared back at her, interested in hearing her take on things. "What ulterior motive might that be?"

The blonde folded her arms across her chest as she slightly shrugged her shoulders. "It could be anything. They could have been looking for something, planted bugs, or even explosives," she theorized. "Kazuya's strategies shouldn't be underestimated."

"If that's so, I'll have my men check the base thoroughly," Lars quickly piped in with vigor.

"We can also run the video footage back to see if the security team finds anything suspicious,& Eddy added.

Jin leaned back against his desk with folded arms. He took in everything they all had to say, meditating a little longer on Nina's words, before looking up at them. "Do whatever is necessary and send me reports of your findings ASAP," he ordered. "You're dismissed," he said with a nod. They all turned to leave once given permission. He watched as Nina prepared to to leave as well before saying, "Not you, Nina."

She halted in her tracks and turned around to face him once again. "Yes, Mr. Kazama?" she said with a slightly playful tone. She had learned over her time spent working for him that it was best to be as agreeable as possible with him to avoid conflict and slightly awkward situations.

Jin studied her tone of voice and wondered why she didn't seem as peevish as she normally would after missing sleep to attend a late meeting. Her behavior perplexed him at times, but then again he never fully understood women. "Be ready to leave for a flight to Egypt at 6:00 a.m.," he told her casually with no further explanation.

Nina tried her best to compose herself after hearing this order. Egypt? What possible reason could there be for him to go there? She wanted to probe him with questions, but she'd never end up with the answers she sought out of him. Perhaps, had she gone to sleep earlier instead of hitting the gym to train she'd feel better about traveling, but just as she was ready to get a good night's rest he decided to spring this up on her. In spite of her disapproval of the situation, she bit her tongue to keep the peace. "I will see you in the morning," she nodded in acquiescence as she turned around to walk out once more.

"That's it?" he asked as he walked towards her slowly.

Again, she turned to face him with a blank stare as he approached her. "You were expecting more?" she countered with a raise of her brow.

As always, he attempted to study her to get a better understanding of her. He searched her eyes for an answer, but she had one hell of a poker face. She somewhat tilted her head with a small smirk as he observed her silently. He didn't know why she was trying to be so agreeable lately, but he, surprisingly, didn't like it. It didn't suit her, and he had grown to appreciate her candor over time, something he didn't get from anyone else at the corporation.

"Is there anything else you need?" she asked.

"No, that's all," he replied as he turned away from her.

Nina finally left his office and exhaled as she headed to her quarters down the hall. Even when she tried to be nice he still found a way to challenge her. It was a never-ending cycle of confusion with him. Now, she would have to prepare for a flight with hardly any sleep. 'Well, at least the bright side is that I can pass the time by sleeping for most of the flight.' She tried to think somewhat optimistically about her unfortunate predicament.

* * *

As planned, they arrived bright and early at the air base and waited for the pilot of the private jet to finish making preparations before they took off. Military operations seemed to have resumed to their daily routine despite being ambushed by Kazuya's men in the dead of night. However, there were more men on foot patrol and in the guard towers to observe activity inside and outside of the base. Jin had checked in with Captain Alexandersson once again about any possible security breaches, but so far there was nothing suspicious found in the vicinity. Pleased with the reports so far, Jin left the hangar to board the jet. Outside, he saw his bodyguard pacing around the aircraft as if she were inspecting it. She was dressed differently than her normal style of dress, wearing a white skirt suit with a red blouse underneath instead of the normal black attire she wore at the office.

He approached her casually. He would have attempted to read her expression to determine her mood, but her eyes were concealed from him by her mirrored aviator shades. "Are you okay?" he asked. Was she nervous about flying? Or did she dread being trapped on a long flight with him?

Nina placed a hand on her hip and lifted her wrist to check the time on her watch. "Is everything clear? If so, we better get a move on," she suggested as she picked up a small briefcase from the ground.

Jin almost frowned at her overly serious demeanor, but decided that she was right to want to focus on the task at hand. "Yes, let's go," he said as they walked together to board the jet.

Once onboard, they got situated and sat down next to each other on the large, spacious seats. Shortly after, the jet took off and soared into the skies, bound for an incredibly long flight to Egypt. Nina was fortunate to get the seat closest to the window, but it didn't really matter to her since she would either be getting some work done or catching up on some well deserved sleep. Almost immediately, she opened her briefcase and pulled out her laptop to keep herself occupied. She hadn't checked her emails in a while, and she definitely had many other things to check on. 'A twelve hour flight to Egypt and I don't even know why the hell we're going to a damn desert…' her thoughts whirled angrily.

He knew that she was purposely putting up a wall because of him. She probably had a million questions at this moment, but she kept to herself to avoid any further disageements with him. To make things right, he had to offer her some kind of explanation at least ease the tension. "When we arrive, I will tell you everything. Just be patient with me," Jin said as he looked over to her.

Her fingers paused for a moment, ceasing to click across her keyboard as he spoke to her. She parted her lips slightly as she sighed to herself softly. She found herself constantly torn between wanting to honestly understand his goals and trust him, or completely regarding this job from a professional standpoint and doing as she was ordered with no compunction for her actions like she did with all her other clients. He was an enigma to her, but she blamed herself for accepting the job because she knew how dysfunctional the Mishima family was from personal experience. However, she put her personal feelings about his family aside to work for him. She reached up to remove her aviators and looked over to the dark haired man sitting next to her. "As I've said before, Jin, you don't have to tell me anything you don't feel comfortable telling me," she paused for a moment as she averted her eyes from his. "I know I questioned you a lot in the beginning, but it's okay if you don't tell me everything because I'll follow your orders regardless."

"I don't want you to distance yourself from me…I want your trust and your understanding," he paused, and in a move neither of them expected, he slowly placed his hand over hers. "I need you to trust me, Nina."

Nina flinched slightly at the sudden contact he'd established with her. It was something she definitely didn't foresee him doing. In fact, she was surprised he had the audacity to pull such a stunt. Even so, she knew he was trying to reach out to her on a humanistic level so she wouldn't reprove his behavior, besides it was a nice gesture, especially coming from someone like him. She looked into his chocolate brown eyes and mustered a small, faint smile and replied, "I trust no one," she stated. "But, I will try my best, Jin."

Her answer would have to do, for now. That small smile from her warmed something deep within him. A ghost of a smile danced along his lips at her response. He didn't have close contact with anyone in his life at present, and he was still leery about letting anyone in due to his "curse", but to mentally and emotionally survive the dark path he was walking down, he would need at least one person to confide in to keep himself sane. No more words were needed, so he sat back into his chair and closed his eyes, hoping sleep would overcome him.

She didn't want to be the "queen of ruining the mood", but she really needed her other hand, the one resting under Jin's larger hand, in order to finish working. She turned towards him and was a little awestruck at how peaceful he looked when he finally relaxed. When he wasn't giving death glares, frowning, or staring off blankly, he was actually quite handsome. "Hmm…" Nina let out in amusement before attempting to return her attention to her work. After figuring out that working with only one hand in use was ineffective, she decided to call it quits. She closed her laptop and set it aside for later. Her gaze was captured by the large, fluffy, white clouds floating beneath the jet as they soared through the seemingly infinite blue skies. It was a peaceful sight. Seeing as how she desperately needed to to replenish her energy, she decided to succumb to sleep as well.

* * *

A small bump of turbulence finally rouse him fom his light slumber. It was a shame, because it was actually one of the few times that he slept peacefully without having to resort to taking a pill. His eyes opened groggily and looked around to observe his surroundings. They were still on their flight. Jin lifted his wrist to check the time, it was almost 9 a.m. He thought much more time would've elapsed, but waking up from naps often made him feel discombobulated. It was going to be a long flight. He felt something shift against him and he looked over to see the blonde assassin napping next to him. She had kicked off her red heels and curled up as best as she could in the chair. Somewhere in the middle of her nap, she had decided to commandeer his arm as her pillow.

Jin gazed down at the blonde in interest as he quietly leered down at her sleeping face. She looked like she was in a state of pure serenity as she slept, as if she were completely at ease and content with life. With the way the sun from the small window bathed her face and her white apparel contrasted against her skin, she definitely looked pure and angelic. One would have never guessed that she was a professional killer, not at all. A wry smile appeared on his lips as he reflected back to the night he saw her twirling on stage under the alias, "Angel". Try as he might, he would never purge those images from his mind's eye.

Another rumble of turbulence shook the jet, this time strong enough to wake her from her nap. She groaned softly and refused to wake up just yet, that small nap wouldn't suffice. She attempted to get cozy again by unintentionally nestling against her employer's arm. She heard a smug "hmph" break the silence and she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the man next to her in surprise.

'Shit…' she thought as she tried to mask her embarrassment . Nina lifted her head from his arm and sat up to regain her composure. She stifled a small yawn with her hand before looking over to Jin, who was still staring back at her. He had seemed to make a hobby out of staring at her lately, it was slightly unnerving, yet somewhat amusing. "Do you see something that interests you, Kazama?" she asked, with a hint of flirtation lacing her tone. She stretched out her legs and leaned down to strap her heels back on.

"Perhaps," Jin replied, calmly and boldly.

That was an unexpected response. Maybe the high altitude was affecting him. As awestruck as she was, she couldn't deny that she was entertained by this more playful side of him. Nina smirked and crossed her legs seductively. "Oh? Well, I'd advise you not to get fresh with me, Mr. Kazama, we have much work to do," she teased as she smiled smugly at him. She decided that it was time to get some work done and grabbed her laptop to resume what she was doing before she fell asleep. Besides, she didn't want her mind to linger on the strange mixed messages the man next to her was sending.

Jin sat silently as he tried to not let himself smile at the fact that he had thrown the assassin for a loop with his words. He secretly enjoyed seeing her confused or flustered, sure it was slightly childish, but it was his only source of entertainment nowadays. He watched her nicely manicured nails dance speedily across the keyboard of her laptop and wondered what she was working on in the first place. "Must you do that now?" he asked.

"What? Actual work? I'm just doing the job you actually hired me for, remember?" she responded, never peeling her eyes from the screen. "Oh…well that's interesting…" Her eyes narrowed.

"What is it?" he inquired.

"Someone has upped the ante on your bounty…and someone has accepted to kill you for this new price," she paused as she looked at him. "Does Bryan Fury ring a bell?"

The name sounded familiar, he had definitely come across the name in the database, but paid it no heed. He was usually too zoned out or focused on his goals during tournaments to pay attention to anyone else. He shook his head and said, "No, it doesn't ring a bell, but I'm sure you'll handle him."

Nina smirked at his confidence in her abilities. "Of course, I've been looking for a challenge…this should be fun. I'll make preparations once we return." She reassured. 'Bryan Fury…that psychopathic creep…this could be dangerous, actually,' she thought to herself.

Speaking of which, Jin began to wonder how much longer would they be on route to their destination. He pressed a button on the overhead intercom to speak to the pilot. "How much longer until we touchdown?"

"Just sit back and relax. We'll be landing real soon, darling," a voice replied.

"Thank y-" He was cut off when he saw Nina jump up abruptly.

"No!" she yelled angrily. She quickly reached for her gun that was holstered behind her back. Nina hastily made her way to the cockpit door and snatched it open. Her mouth fell agape and her eyes widened.

"Nina? What's wrong with you? What's going on?" Jin asked, utterly confused by her actions. He felt slightly alarmed at seeing her so rattled.

Nina whipped around to face him. "Jin! There's no pilot and that voice is…"

"Relax, dear sister, make a drink and have a seat," the voice laughed.

"Anna?! What did you do?!" Nina yelled frantically at the intercom.

"I'm just having a little fun, sis," Anna said. "You see, I had my boys in tech corrupt your system controls."

"You what?!" Nina exclaimed angrily as she paced back and forth.

"Oh, I love it when you're this upset, it lights a fire in me!" she laughed annoyingly over the intercom.

Jin was beyond lost at this moment. A woman, Nina's sister presumably, hijacked their jet? Why? "What do you want from us? What do you gain from doing this?" Jin asked angrily.

"Oh, hello, Jin," Anna said seductively. "You sound handsome…just like your father. Too bad you two are going to die. Isn't this fitting? The momma's boy and the daddy's girl plummeting to their deaths together!"

Jin sneered at this. "My father is behind this? Bastard…" he cursed angrily.

Nina ran to the cockpit and quickly seated herself in the pilot's chair. She began flipping a few switches and pushing a few buttons to attempt to gain control of the plane. It was useless, nothing she did worked. "Jin!" she yelled from the cockpit with worry. He rushed to her side as she called for him. "It's no use…we're going to have to evacuate!" She jumped to her feet again to head for the exit hatch.

Everything was happening so fast that he didn't really know how to react. The jet began to shake uncontrollably, sending both of them colliding into anything near them. Jin stood up and grabbed onto Nina's arm to help her keep her balance. This was an unexpected turn of events, definitely a cog in his plans, but he would have to worry about that later and focus on survival. Nina staggered to the back of the jet and quickly searched around for the emergency parachutes.

"Oh, isn't she a beauty?" Anna chirped. "Looks like I found a nice mountain to crash you two into! Hold on!" The jet changed direction suddenly and sent its occupants flying off of their feet. "This is like playing a videogame…unfortunately for you two there'll be no continues after this game over!" she laughed.

Nina stumbled to her feet again with Jin's aid as he helped her regain her footing. "You bitch!" she shouted angrily. She pulled down an overhead latch and grabbed a parachute. Only one. "Are you fucking kidding me?!" This had to be Anna's doing as well. There was no time to dwell on it, she could see that they were approaching mainland, no doubt nearing closer to Anna's parting gift. Nina took a deep breath before making a tough decision. "Jin, take this and put it on!" she ordered while shoving the parachute into his chest. They were losing altitude quickly and time was of the essence.

"What about-" he started before he was interrupted.

"There's no time for this!" she yelled as she gripped onto something as she worked to open the door to the jet.

Jin obeyed her and quickly slipped on the parachute. Something didn't feel right about this. 'What is she doing?' he thought as he watched her actions.

Anna's voice disrupted the atmosphere once more. "Well, I'm off to brunch with Kazuya, darlings, have a nice flight, goodbye!" She laughed once again.

Nina ignored the wretched voice and finally opened the door and braced herself for the powerful suction of air. Their hair and clothes blew around wildly as the wind filled the jet. She whipped towards Jin and grabbed his arm, attempting to pull him to the door. "Come on you have to jump!" she urged.

"You don't have a parachute! I can't…"

"I'll find a way!" Nina yelled reassuringly. She averted her eyes from his and looked out into the open sky. "Jin, please go now!" she begged.

He didn't like the sound of that, instead he had to trust his instincts. Despite her orders, he stepped closely to her and said, "Hold on to me tightly!" He quickly wrapped his arms around her waist tightly and dove from the falling jet into the unknown.

* * *

Anna, you little devil, always trolling your dear sister until no end!

Next chapter will be posted soon! R&R


	7. Confessions

New chapter! Enjoy everyone! Thanks again for the reviews!:)

Disclaimer: I did not own any characters, they are all property of Namco.

This was a cause for celebration. It was much easier than she thought it would be as well. It was a shame, however, that she wasn't there to see her face one last time before she died in a fiery blaze. Now that she thought about it, she really wished it didn't end that way at all. She wanted their final battle to be more climatic and dramatic with the perfect setting. She almost had regrets for ending things so quickly, but it was over now. She sighed as she spread out on the black chaise she was sitting on. 'Now what?' she thought woefully.

"Lamenting about your poor sister's death, Anna?" Kazuya asked with a smug smirk. He was sitting at his desk staring at various monitors to track the jet they had just crashed. The beacon lost its signal, but the final location stated that it was located at was somewhere off the coast of Thailand. He knew that he wouldn't get rid of Jin that easily, the Devil Gene would keep him alive, but Anna's dear sister was definitely cremated by now. Anna's tactics were unconventional, but very innovative. Even if they weren't dead, they definitely succeeded at thwarting Jin's plans. He fixed his gaze on the brunette, who was dressed in nothing but a sheer, black night slip that left nothing to the imagination. She had certainly made herself at home at G Corp so far.

Anna reached for her mimosa and finished it. "Lamenting? No, I'm just reflecting," she answered. "What about you? Poor little Jin, gone but not forgotten." She smiled as she observed him.

Kazuya let out a low chuckle. He only wanted Jin dead for the sole purpose of absorbing his power. The boy was nothing but a nuisance to him, a permanent thorn in his side since he learned of his existence. He leaned back into his chair with his arms folded across his chest. "Hmph, he won't be missed," he said coldly. "I'll send a team out to investigate the crash to see what they find," he announced to her. 'I wonder…why was he heading towards the Middle East? Does he hear the voices too?' he pondered deeply.

Anna gazed up towards the ceiling feeling completely lost at the moment. What would she do now that her only relative was gone? She shook that notion from her head. There was no way that she would die so pitifully. 'Oh, Nina, I could have crashed the plane while you were completely off guard and had the jet stripped of all parachutes, but I only wanted to toy with you. You better not be dead,' she thought solemnly. She stood up from her resting position with a small stretch. "Well, I'm going to take a long, hot shower," she said as she switched her hips sexily as she walked to the door. "You're always welcome to join me, dear." The brunette shot a quick suggestive glance over her shoulder before leaving the room.

He watched her leave the room, unashamedly leering at her curvy body lustfully. A wicked smile pulled at the corners of his lips. A pleasant distraction, she was, but he would never allow himelf to become too distracted with any woman for too long. However, as a hot blooded man, he couldn't resist temptation all the time. Besides, her clever little plans were helping him gain the edge he needed to put that sorry little whelp in his place. It was a cause for celebration indeed.

* * *

Darkness enveloped everything. His body felt weightless, without any specific form or shape, but his mind was fully awake. It felt like that horrible nightmare he had every time that penetrating voice from that monster infringed on his thoughts, taunting him and beckoning to be freed.

 _'_ _ _Heir to the cursed blood…release me and allow me to cleanse this world.'__

The cryptic voice echoed throughout his entire conciousness. Everytime that voice spoke to him, the devil within him always answered in return, _'_ _ _Feel my wrath, I will show you true fear.'__ It was as if his mind was a playground for two heinous entities to meet and verbally spar with each other whenever his mental state was susceptible to control.

 _'_ _ _I will destroy all of humanity and cleanse this world from their sins.'__

 _'_ _ _Let me unleash my true power and you will see a true God.'__

His mind struggled to keep the voices from weakening his will. He had to fight it. 'Get out…leave me alone! Get out of my head!' his mind screamed. Just having the power to resist gave him the strength to awaken from this horrid nightmare. The darkness lifted as a white light began penetrating through the once prevailing darkness shrouding his thoughts.

With a small gasp, he slowly opened his eyes and was greeted with the sight of pure whiteness. Was this heaven? His head throbbed a bit as he tried to remember what the hell happened to him. If this was heaven, then it felt like hell. The heat was sweltering and the air was heavy. He made an attempt to sit up, but he felt weighed down by something. Tilting his head downwards, he saw blonde hair splayed over his chest and a woman laying on top of his body.

'Nina!' he thought in alarm and worry. She was seemingly unconscious, but he had to check to be sure. He gripped onto her shoulders and shifted her weight off of him as he rolled her over. He hovered over her form and stared down at her face. When he lifted his hand to brush her hair away from her neck to check her pulse, he noticed that it was covered in grains of sand. 'Sand? Where are we?' The white sheet covering them, the sand, and…the jet. It all started coming back to him as his mind replayed the last few moments before they must've blacked out. His attention was captured when he heard soft moans and groans coming from the woman underneath him.

Nina's chest slowly heaved up and down with deep breaths as she slowly came to. What the hell happened to her? Where the hell was she and why was it so god damned hot? She reluctantly opened her eyes to at least find the answer to one of those questions. Her vision was blurred at first, but once it straightened, she found herself staring at Jin's face. She was confused again. Her eyes moved to the white sheet over their hands, flapping in the breeze. Her eyes widened slightly as she recalled everything. 'Anna, you stupid bitch…I'm going to kill her!' she plotted angrily in her thoughts. Her eyes focused on Jin again and he was still hovering over her in a mysterious fashion. What was his deal? Did she nearly die or something? "Jin…let me up. I feel like I'm dying in this heat," she complained as she yearned to stand up and figure out what was going on.

Jin silently complied with her request and they both stood up to see their surroundings once they fumbled to throw the deployed parachute away from them. He shielded his eyes from the blazing sun as he surveyed their surroundings. They were on a beach, definitely in a tropical climate due to the heat and humidity. He looked out over the sea and wondered what land they were in. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as his thoughts focused on his father. 'You think you've won, don't you? This isn't over yet.' Jin scowled slightly as his mind swarmed with plans of revenge.

"Jin, look," Nina said as she stared into the sky. She walked into the direction she was looking in for a few steps before stopping. Jin stood next to her and observed the scene as well. The luxurious jet they were once comfortably traveling on was engulfed in flames with rolling clouds of thick, black smoke billowing into the air. "What an eyesore," she muttered to herself. She dusted more sand from her white skirt and attempted to shake some of it from her hair. She shook her blonde tresses out and realized that somewhere admist the havoc that she lost her ponytail holder. 'Great. If I had a nickel for every hair tie I'd lost…' she thought bitterly.

"Your sister and my father are working together?" Jin asked in disbelief.

"It seems like our alliance was a great threat to him, so he sought out that whore to work for him again," she speculated as she turned away from the scene of the crash.

Again? His father and her sister were partners before? This wasn't going to bode well for them if she had more tricks like this up her sleeve. Jin checked his watch, it was nearing noon. How long were they out? He turned around and noticed Nina walking towards the jungle. "Where are you going?" he asked, following her while he stripped off his coat. He couldn't wait to get out of the oppressive heat of the sun beating down on them.

"Chances are that G Corp has already sent out an investigative team to find our bodies. We don't want to be seen standing in open view so that they can make their second attempt to kill us, so we better start walking to find the nearest town where we can contact HQ because I don't have a signal on my phone," Nina explained in depth as she kept walking. She only hoped that they found civilization before they both passed out from heat exhaustion.

Jin reached into the pocket of his slacks and was surprised that he didn't have his phone on him. It must've been on the plane. He heard a bottle rattle in is coat pocket and was somewhat relieved that he hadn't lost his medication. He trailed behind the blonde, trusting her navigation skills through the foreign territory.

* * *

Weathered and beaten by their long expedition, they finally saw their glimmer of hope as they arrived to an open dirt road, which led them on another long trek to a small town. Their once immaculate, expensive shoes were caked in mud thanks to the rainfall that bathed them, but at least every cool drop was a welcome sensation to their overheated and possibly sunburnt skin. Now, the humidity index was higher than ever, but they continued on despite being suffocated in a large outdoor sauna. They would've reached their destination sooner if it weren't for the frequent breaks they were forced to take in order to replenish their stamina and focus to continue forward.

They made it to the small village, a very traditional and rural community with rows of straw roofed housing and hard working folks. They stood out, not like tourists, but like stranded survivors of a near fatal plane crash. What a sight they must've been. Wearisome and exhausted, Nina checked her phone, still no signal. So much for the Mishima Zaibatsu's state of the art technology. It was then that she was forced to interact with the locals to seek assistance. She had to muster up her best rusty Thai to ask for a phone, but was sadly told that their best bet was to travel to Phuket by ferry. Luckily, they were told that the docks were nearby and they'd be there in no time. That was a relief, because her feet felt so numb that she felt like she was walking on amputated nubs. Losing her shoes wasn't an option, because she'd endure this pain over walking in mud and a myriad of foreign bacteria with her barefeet anyday. They both looked at each other, trying their best to silently encourage each other to move forward, they were getting closer to the light at the end of the tunnel.

* * *

It was nearing dusk when they finally made it to the resort near the coast of Phuket. Now, this place was much more pleasing to the eyes. They blended in much better here since the place was booming with tourists from almost every corner of the world. Sandy beaches, bright lights, and beautiful resorts lined the shores. They would surely find a telephone here and be on their way back to HQ in no time. In the main lobby of the resort, the receptionist was most agreeable in allowing them to use their phone. Jin, who was mostly silent and somber for the duration of the trip, finally spoke up and requested to use the phone in a private area. Nina watched him tiredly trudge into the back office to make the call. Left at the reception desk, Nina decided to put some of her nice salary to use to book a room.

"Anything you have will do," she said, trying to mask the desperation in her voice.

"We have a double, a single, or a room with two singles available," the receptionist informed merrily.

"The two singles will do," she accepted the room offer and paid by whipping out her trusted gold card that was tucked away deep in her brassiere. Once she received her card key she was already making her way towards the room. "Just tell him the room number and send him on his way when he's done."

Once she arrived to the average-sized but lavishly decorated room, the first thing she did was peel off her sweat and dirt ridden attire and headed for the bathroom to pamper herself to a well needed hot shower. With a quick glimpse in the mirror, she noticed how stringy and tangled her hair looked from being rained on and sweating all day, but at least she'd be able to wash it with the complimentary shampoos available. It was a terribly eventful day thanks to her cow of a sister. It would be a bad day on Earth if they ever ran into each other again. As lathered up her hair in the shower, the thought of her treacherous sister and that bastard Kazuya really got her lathered up. It was just like old times again.

After a good half hour or so in the shower, she finally exited the bathroom, donned in a fluffy, white terry clothed robe. She felt like she was wrapped up in cloud nine itself. She looked up and was nearly startled by seeing Jin sitting a large wicker chair by the balcony of the room. He was sitting back in the chair with his elbow resting on the air and his fist propped against his cheek. She couldn't tell if he was just tired from their day of traveling or brooding about something, as usual. She sat down on one of the twin beds as she combed through her wet hair. "So, what's the update?" she asked nonchalantly. The hot spray of water seemingly washed away her anger and distress, it was a really therapuetic experience.

His sharp, dark bangs hung over his eyes as his tired, aching body melded into the the chair. He was upset about a lot of things, but he figured it was no use in venting about it to her, not with the day they had. However, he was fully prepared to unleash all hell onto many a poor soul once they returned to HQ. Their security was compromised, a number of their aircrafts had been sabotaged, and somewhere, his enemies were gloating and having a grand time at his expense.

He rubbed his eyes with an annoyed sigh. "I relayed everything that has happened thus far to HQ, and they've already dispatched a thoroughly checked and secured plane to pick us up before dawn," he said, his tone was cool and dry. Seeing her look so refreshed and radiant made him long for a shower of his own. He stood from the chair and silently made his way towards the bathroom. Shortly after the door closed, the spray of the shower was heard from the other side of the door.

Nina kept silent as she continued to groom herself. He was clearly in one of his agitated moods so she decided not to interact with him until the dark cloud over his head did a shift change. Perhaps that shower would do wonders to improve his mood as it did for her. Once she was done, she decided to tidy up a bit, especially seeing how she had stripped her clothes off and sloppily left them on the floor while Jin had thrown his coat into the chair. She gathered up her discarded clothes and folded them despite debating if she was ever going to put them back on. After she placed her pile of clothes on the foot of her bed she walked over to Jin's coat and decided to hang it up in the closet. A rattle caught her attention, and against her moral code to respect the privacy of others, she reached into the pocket of his coat to get a quick glimpse of the bottle. They were prescribed to him, possibly from the Mishima Lab, and the drug name was oddly familiar.

Her brows furrowed a bit as she held the bottle in her hand as she recalled an incident from her past shortly after waking up from cryosleep. As directed by Dr. Bosconovich, Anna made her take these pills with every meal, deceiving her by convincing her that they would help her recover lost memories. When she wisened up and researched the medication, she was surprised to find out what they really were. She quickly stuffed the bottle back into his pocket and returned to her bed and laid back down. Nina closed her eyes with a small sigh as her thoughts focused on Jin. He was such a curious case, yet the more she found out about him the more confused she became.

'This is why I distance myself from the affairs of my clients…in and out jobs are so much easier,' she reflected, somewhat skeptical about everything she was currently doing in her life. The shower stopped. She decided to feign sleep. It was a long, rough day and she had a lot on her mind, so she decided to skip any further conversation that may occur between them for now.

Jin finally emerged from bathroom donned in a white robe with a towel draped around his neck. Now, after he bathed away some of his stress, he felt slightly less peeved than he was before. His eyes fell upon Nina and he noticed that she appeared to be sleeping. That was quick. Despite their trying day, she didn't seem like the type to fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. However, she was lucky because there would be no way that he would be able to succumb to sleep so quickly. He crossed over to the bed adjacent to Nina's and laid down as well. He looked over to the blonde one last time before reaching over to the lamp on the nightstand between their beds and turning it off. In the darkness, all he could do was stare listlessly at the ceiling fan, watching the blades slowly slice through the stuffy air of the room.

After a deep sigh he asked, "Why did you risk your life to save me?"

Nina tensed as his deep, commanding voice cut through the silence. How did he know that she was awake? She almost debated ignoring his question and continue on pretending to be in a deep slumber, but she knew he wasn't daft enough to fall for it. She so longed for a quiet night without any disturbances. She didn't bother to open her eyes when she replied flatly, "It's my job."

That was an unsatisfactory answer. "You'd risk your life for anyone?" Jin asked in disbelief.

"For the right price I would."

"You lie."

She clicked her tongue, already annoyed with his little interrogation. She opened her eyes and stared up at the spinning blades as well. "Jin, you hired me to be your bodyguard, and now you're confused about why I risked my life to save you? Besides, I would have found a way to survive," she said confidently. She had survived much more perilous situations, and she wouldn't give Anna the satisfaction of believing that she could be killed off so easily.

"It was foolish…you would have died."

"It's the risk I take every day I wake up."

"You know nothing about me."

"I don't tend to care to know much beyond the job I'm hired to do," Nina sighed with disinterest in furthering the conversation. Jin Kazama was the most challenging person she'd ever worked for. "If you don't want me to put my life on the line to protect you, I won't, but it'll be much more difficult to perform my job efficiently with that restriction."

Her words tore his attention away from the ceiling and he turned his head on his pillow to face her. Her voice grew cold and though he couldn't tell from looking at her silhouette in the dark, he could tell that she was irritated, but he was only curious about her actions. Maybe if she knew the truth about him, she wouldn't so foolhardily put his life before her own. It was time to come clean about everything. "Nina, I need to tell you something important about my plans…and myself, beyond what I've told you before," he stated in a stern voice.

This was enough to peak her interest. She slowly rolled onto her side and faced him, and through the darkness their eyes somehow connected. Strangely, she was a little apprehensive about what he was going to tell her, but if it would help her understand everything better, then it was imperative for her to listen to him. "I'm listening," she assured.

It was something that he didn't want to reveal to her, or anyone for that matter, but he didn't want to feel like he was deceiving her by blindly leading her down his path of destruction. He would have to tell her everything from the beginning, including about the Devil Gene. It appeared that they wouldn't be sleeping afterall because this story would be sure to have them up until dawn.

* * *

So many dark secrets coming into the light...

Oh yeah, just for clarification, this story takes place before most of the major events of T6, so I'll be focusing mostly on the interactions between Nina and Jin and the schemes of Kazuya and Anna from behind the scenes. Thanks for reading! R&R!


	8. We Need to Talk

Hello everyone! Here's chapter 8! As always, thanks for reading and your reviews, they're much appreciated! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, they are all property of Namco!

Hell hath no fury like a furious Jin. All those under him witnessed this first hand upon his return to the Mishima Zaibatsu, things had began to change very rapidly under his strict new rules. Over the course of the last couple of weeks, a blazing fire had been lit under the asses of the soldiers and all employees. Again, security had tightened and the already ludicrous rules he had enforced had much harsher penalties and consequences should he find that any of them had been broken. The privacy of employees was now almost nonexistent. Conversations were monitored, curfews were in full effect, and the Central Tower was now on lock down. It was his fortress of solitude, but to others, a prison. Those who could clock out and leave for the day were enviable, for to some this was a new way of life.

It was very evident, to her at least, that this was due to his paranoia being in full swing and a bruised ego caused by his father's cunning ability to remain a step ahead of him to thwart his plans from progressing. Kazuya's spies were everywhere, watching their every move and reporting their activity to him. However, with some finessing and coaxing on her part, she was finally able to convince Jin to let her take her rightful place on the battlefield to fight alongside the Tekken Force to give them the edge they needed to overcome the G Corporation soldiers. With her new battle tactics in place, she had successfully honed the skills of several men in one of her many areas of expertise, sharpshooting. Running in with their guns blazing to take out as many enemy soldiers as they can was purely child's play, but with the use of several snipers on the field they were able to decrease their casualties and increase the number of enemies dispatched. With these new tactics, they were finally able to stop G Corp from impeding their attempts to secure new bases in several regions of the world. It was the first step of many that would lead Jin closer to his goals.

After a long week of jet setting around with the boys to oversee their missions, Nina had finally been able to return to HQ. Despite her busy new schedule, she was secretly exhilarated to be doing what she was best at, and her time away from Jin's shadow and his watchful gaze was much needed. She still needed time to process everything he had revealed to her. Even for a hardened killer such as herself, the things he confessed to her were beyond her belief, but she knew for certain that he would not lie about something like that. Devils, Angels, Ogres...she didn't want to believe in these fantastical things, but she had no choice, and for Jin this was a constant reality for him. 'I shouldn't be shocked by any of this. All those years ago, I had always seen Kazuya as the devil, but I had no idea how right I was,' she thought as she walked down the long, deserted corridor leading to her employer's office.

She was due to give her reports to him earlier shortly after she returned, but she postponed it to unwind and de-stress herself from her previous missions. The click of her heels echoing off of the marble floors finally ceased as she stopped outside of his office and used the biometric scanner to scan her fingerprint to gain entry into his domain. With a final roll of her neck and shoulders to relieve the pain and tension from her old battle wounds, she finally stepped into the office and wondered what madness she was in for tonight.

The room was dark, save for the soft glow of the desk lamp situated on his large desk. Was he in one of his gloomy moods or was he just saving electricity? She walked over to his desk slowly and apprehensively, observing the chair turned towards the large windows silently. She took extra safety measures around him, not because she was frightened, but because he warned her of his "curse" and his inability to control his actions if his other side ever took over. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to bear witness to that anytime soon, or ever. It had been a while since she was in his office, in fact, it had been a while since she had seen him face to face. Although she was excited to be more involved with the Tekken Force, a small part of her missed loafing around his office, drinking tea whilst quietly exchanging glances with her employer.

His strong voice interrupted the silence coolly and abruptly, "You're late."

"I know, " she replied calmly, not bothering to give him any excuses. "I'm here now, finally. Do you want my report now, or should we resume this meeting in the morning? " It was late and she really didn't feel like going into great depth about her activities for the last few weeks.

Jin slowly rotated around in his chair to finally get a good look at his bodyguard. She stood before him, clad in one of her usual black skirt suits. His eyes raked over her like a fine tooth comb to completely register her appearance, after all, it had been a while since he'd seen her. Upon his inspection, he noticed that she had acquired a few new bruises, her left hand was wrapped with thin white bandages, and on her neck he observed a slightly faded purplish bruise marring her porcelain skin. He wanted to chastise her for practically begging him to let her leave his side to fight on the battlefield, but knowing her temperament he knew that would be foolish. He was somewhat disappointed in her decision to leave to go off seeking more thrills, but he had to realize that as an assassin she would never be satisfied with simply watching over him everyday. Hopefully, some good results came from this change.

"Was it successful?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

She gave him a single nod of her head as she placed a file on his desk and slid it towards him. "You'll find the details in here. You'll be pleased to know that your bases have been secured and you have units stationed in almost every corner of the world on standby waiting for your next command," she reported in an even tone. He was oddly unresponsive to this news, and he seemed drowsy and lethargic. She sighed to herself. Isn't this what he wanted? It was the prelude to the grand war he was going to orchestrate, securing those bases were paramount to moving on to the next phase of his plan.

The dark haired man remained silent as his eyes settled on the untouched file on his desk. He was finally seeing the results that he wanted. He should've been pleased, yet somehow he felt a deep feeling of malaise settling within him. His imminent demise was on the horizon much sooner than he expected it to be. In some form of strange irony, in her efforts to carry out his orders and keep him safe, she was also bringing him closer to his premeditated death. A wry smile formed on his lips as he brought his eyes up to meet her crystalline blue gaze. "Well done," he commended her. "I didn't think it'd go this smoothly."

The blonde shrugged slightly. "It was nothing, besides with proper supervision and _motivation_ the soldiers weren't half bad," she said with a smug smirk.

"It looks like you've had quite the time out there. Maybe next time you'd do well to be more careful," he commented, obviously referencing her wounds. He couldn't simply ignore it. Had she stayed in the office, she wouldn't have sustained those injuries.

Nina tightened her lips at his remark. Was that his weird little way of expressing concern for her well being or just his cocky attitude surfacing once again? "What's wrong, boss, you don't like seeing me a little banged up from all the dangerous missions you send me on?" she teased playfully as she placed her hands on his desk. In her profession, small wounds like the ones she endured was nothing compared to the many things that could go wrong. Besides, she loved to get a little down and dirty from time to time.

"Hmph," Jin smiled inwardly at her retort. Her absence was obvious the last few weeks, without her, he had no one to converse with on a personal level. Honestly, he was glad that she was back safe and sound.

Now that their playful jibes were over, she decided to shift the conversation into a more serious direction. "Jin, how have you been?"she asked, seriously. While she was away, she was admittedly worried that something would go wrong. It was unlikely for her to care for her clients in the past, but given his extenuating circumstances, she couldn't help but to keep his well being in the back of her mind.

The question lingered in the air for a moment as he meditated on her words. He figured that she distanced herself from him because she was secretly frightened of him and the secret things he revealed to her that he didn't deign to share with anyone else. In truth, he felt a little abandoned by her leave, but he wasn't ready to confront the reasons behind those emotions. As he looked into her eyes, he was slightly taken aback by the genuine concern held within them. It was a nice sentiment considering her normally cold demeanor. "You needn't worry about me, I'm fine," he responded calmly. "I've found a way to keep myself calm, despite the many nuances of running this company."

Not exactly what she was asking, but his answer would suffice for now. "Good," she said as she looked him up and down skeptically one final time before making her way to his bar. Maybe she'd have wine instead of scotch tonight. "Have you been sleeping well without taking those pills?" she asked boldly while looking for the perfect bottle of wine to open.

That question took him by surprise. Did he tell her about that as well? "That's not your concern, Nina, I told you that I'm fine." His tone became stern and cold.

It was her concern, especially when she could see the stark differences in his behavior. In the beginning, she thought that it was just his personality, but on some occasions she had seen a different side to him, presumably when he wasn't under the influence of those pills. "You look half dead when you take those things. Did those cretins from the lab tell you to take them to help your _situation_ or are you intentionally taking them?"

Jin sat up in his chair and glared at her as she made her way over to the sofa and sat down with a glass of wine. Why was she attacking him all of the sudden? They were having such a nice conversation before she brought this up. "Why do you care?" he snapped lightly.

"It's my job to keep you safe, and I don't think it's safe for you to be doping yourself," she replied.

"It's none of your damn business! " Jin shot at her angrily.

Nina sighed as she took a sip of her wine. She was making him angry and she regretted her attempts to call him out about it so insensitively. "I'm sorry, but I don't like seeing you so 'out of it'. If you truly believe that they're helpful to you, I'll look the other way, but taking anti-depressants and sleeping pills like that isn't a good idea, Jin," she expressed solemnly.

Jin brought his palm up to cradle his face and sighed heavily. How did she know all of this? Was she snooping around in his belongings? It didn't matter how she found out because she obviously had enough information on him to throw it in his face. He had already told her everything he felt she needed to know in order to do her job, but he figured there was no use in lying about it any further, besides she was very intuitive and good at reading people. "It helps...in a way to keep my thoughts centered and to suppress my moods. I don't have control over the Devil Gene and most of the time it's triggered whenever I'm in an emotional state of mind, so I started taking the pills to aid me in keeping it under control," he confessed.

Upon hearing his words, she felt a little guilty about bringing it up, especially since it was apparent that he was reluctant to tell her this secret. She had no idea how much he had struggled to deal with his cursed blood. Now, she felt even more sympathetic about his predicament. The blonde assassin looked over to her employer and hoped he wouldn't be too upset with her for meddling in his business, but she wanted to stop his dependency on those things. "I didn't know, I'm sorry," she apologized in a low voice. "I just wanted to warn you about them."

He finally looked up again as she said this. "How did you know what they were?"

She bit her lower lip at the question. Now she was in the hot seat. She couldn't flat out refuse to answer his question considering the fact that he answered a very difficult question for her. 'Great, you opened a can of worms now...' she chided herself in her thoughts. "My sister forced me to take them after waking up from cold sleep. When I lost my memories, I was as helpless as a child, solely dependent on her to take care of me. I did suffer from depression and became too difficult for my sister to handle, so dear old Dr. Bosconovich told me to take those pills, but Anna lied to me and told me they would help me regain my memories. Like a fool, I took them religiously until I became near catatonic, and when my memories didn't return it only made me hostile and again, depressed. I didn't mean to look at the bottle that night in Phuket, but the name brought back bad memories, and it only made me curious about why you were taking them," she revealed to him in a somber tone.

Jin let her story sink in as he sat silently behind his desk. He learned something new about his bodyguard and she learned something more about him, they both had many secrets. He didn't imagine that their reunion meeting would turn out this way, he would've been content with just sitting in silence while watching her drink his wine, but perhaps this was something that needed to happen between them. He remained silent as he still reflected back on their conversation.

Nina figured that it'd be best to leave him with his thoughts, besides it was getting late and they both could use some sleep. She stood up from the sofa and turned towards his desk. He seemed to be very pensive at the moment. "I'm turning in for the night. I'll see you in the morning, goodnight."

He watched her as she walked towards the door and wondered how such a dangerous, fatal woman became something akin to being his only companion. At first, he would have preferred it if she were the cold, calculating, emotionless killer the files painted her to be, but in a sense he was secretly satisfied with being able to connect with her on a personal level. In spite his own aloof and reclusive nature, he still needed a tiny bit of socialization to keep himself grounded. The assassin may have been oblivious to it, but he intended for her to be the last person he'd confide in before his fate beckoned him away. 'If she saw me for the monster I truly am, would she still stand by me?' he contemplated deeply whilst sitting alone in the dimmed office.

* * *

There was a neverending tug of war between G Corp and the Mishima Zaibatsu, and in their last clash they had lost the upper hand once again. Dozens of their top commanding officers were taken out, thus crippling their manpower significantly since many units were left without strong leadership. This could be an easy fix, but for someone in particular, this was a devastating blow. Kazuya sat behind his desk with his arms folded across his chest and listened to the angry ramblings of one of his old trusted associates who, if he were a more sentimental person, he could consider as an old friend.

The tall, dark kickboxer paced back and forth in front of his desk, completely livid. How in the hell could they recover quickly after losing some of their most prized soldiers? "We had those damn Mishima dogs cowering with their tails between their legs until that bitch showed up with those fucking snipers!" he hissed angrily. Everyone knew that Bruce Irvin prided himself on how he trained his men to be the strongest and fearless soldiers around. This loss was a personal blow to his ego.

Kazuya had heard the story many times over from different sources and had already let his anger and disappointment fade. Now, he was more interested in knowing their next course of action. "It's a tragedy, " he said nonchalantly. Soldiers were expendable, so he honestly could care less. "Just appoint new captains and train them." Kazuya offered a simple solution to this, but Bruce wouldn't let it go.

Bruce stopped pacing and looked at Kazuya in disbelief. Clearly, he didn't understand the magnitude of this situation. Now, he was getting pissed. "Top soldiers just don't appear overnight! I poured my heart and soul into training those men and now-" he was interrupted.

"They're dead, get over it!" he finished, cruelly. "Train more and be done with it!"

"That's fucked up, man, real fucked up," Bruce said as he shook his head with a judgmental gaze. He always knew Kazuya was a no nonsense leader and a cold-hearted bastard to boot, but his apathy towards this dilemma was appalling.

Kazuya only smirked smugly at the angry man. Bruce was a dedicated soldier and a skilled fighter, but his compassion was always his weakness. Since he always bragged about his abilities and drill tactics it shouldn't be an issue for him to whip more soldiers into shape. His eyes shot to the door as another person entered his office.

The brunette woman casually strutted into his office as she normally did, dressed in a red skirt suit with black fishnet tights. Her red lips curved into a small smile as she looked at the two men. "Did I miss anything important, fellas?" she asked as she made her way towards her employer's desk.

Bruce eyed the woman disapprovingly and crossed his arms. Had she taken the opportunity to kill her sister when she had the chance, his men would have still been alive. "Are you devising a plan to kill that bitch for good, or are you just playing around?" he asked in a pissy manner.

Anna feigned surprise at his accusations. "Oh, Bruce, you know my plans always involve her death. It's not my fault that she always manages to slip away. She was always the lucky one," she explained with a shrug. "But don't fret, Brucey, I'm setting her up on a little play date soon."

"That's real cute and all, princess, but my men are dead because of that bitch!" he sneered at her. "Maybe you should stop playing and get serious!"

She nearly rolled her eyes at his incessant whining. He was like a feral dog with a bloody bone, he just wouldn't let go of this issue. "We'll pay them back when we can, but I can assure you that Nina is the least of your worries. Our forces are weak, so what are you planning to do about it?"

The mohawked man nearly growled at her as she said this. "It all falls back on me, huh? What exactly is it that you do around here besides get on your knees and bl-"

"Screw off, you asshole!" Anna interrupted before he could finish. "I do just as much as you or anyone else around here!" she snapped angrily, finally losing her cool.

"Enough!" Kazuya finally interjected, growing tired of their idiotic squabble. He couldn't believe that he had allowed such immature morons to work under him. "Both of you better hold up your end of your bargains and get me the results that I need! Now, get out!" he ordered as he swiveled his chair towards the window.

Anna and Bruce exchanged furious glances before taking their leave from his office. Just as she was about to leave, Anna turned to face her boss once more. She was distracted by Bruce's bitching and completely forgot to tell her the news she had for him. "I have a plan," she started as she took a few steps back into his office. "But it's solely up to you to follow through or not," she said with a sly smile.

He should've known that she wouldn't be easy to shake off. She wasn't easily intimidated, which was something that both annoyed and intrigued him. He turned his chair to face the bold woman as he stared her down with his two toned gaze. "What are you talking about?"

The sexy brunette slowly sashayed to his desk once again. Once she was close enough, she took her usual seat and crossed her legs. "I don't know if you've been watching the news lately, but the media is beginning to weigh in on the clash between the two companies. Since your little son is making so many enemies and has many "suspicious activities" coming to light, it seems that we're deemed the lesser of the two evils, " she reported.

"Tch, I don't care about what the media thinks, they're clowns. Why are you telling me this?" Kazuya asked, feeling slightly disinterested in the topic.

She sighed with a small roll of her eyes. "Think about it, Kazuya, if we play up that angle, with a little cajoling and puppeteering, we could have the public eating out of our hands. With the public supporting us and antagonizing Jin, we can make it more difficult for him to make whatever moves he's trying to accomplish if the public's scrutiny is on him full force," she further elaborated with a devious smile.

Another smug smirk graced his features as he thought about her plan. 'I don't know what that damn whelp is up to, but he's been persistent in trying to position his troops everywhere he possibly can. He's going to start something big...he's preparing for war. If he does, he'll be the world's most hated man.' He smiled evilly at this realization.

Anna looked at him and wondered why that evil grin was plastered on his face. Was he finally understanding what she was getting at? "If Jin and the entirety of the Mishima Zaibatsu will be shunned, they'll look to anyone to save them from the tyranny of that company...even to someone like you," she scooted off of his desk and made her way over to his side. "I can see the headlines already: 'G Corporation Fights Back Against Jin Kazama', 'Kazuya Mishima: Hero and Saviour'..." she spoke softly into his ear, pulling him further into her fantasy.

Her views were amusing. The public was easy to manipulate and he could use this to his advantage. More funding, positive press, and the opportunity to piss off his estranged son, it was perfect and the perks were worth it. "It sounds effective, " he remarked with a satisfied grin. "How do we go about doing this?"

Anna began massaging his shoulders lightly with her hands with a sexy smile. "You just leave that to me, darling," she said reassuringly. She was ready to go on a grand smearing campaign against their enemies, and it would bring her great joy to possibly have a chance to drag her sister's name through the mud.

* * *

Sorry if this chapter was a tad bit depressing...but I feel like they both have difficult pasts and dark secrets to discuss. The next chapter won't be as dark! R&R!


	9. Tension

Chapter 9! Thanks for keeping up with this story so far and for the reviews! I'm going to update more often so that it'll be completed before the release of the new game (because we'll all be busy playing it lol).

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.

* * *

After a busy morning running errands, training, and collecting vital intel on her next target, the assassin finally found the time to fit a meal into her schedule. She ended up grabbing lunch in the one place she never thought she would, the employee cafeteria. Though she had given the food there a fair chance, she just loathed the environment, noisy and overcrowded. At least she was able to grab a table to herself so that she could somewhat enjoy her meal. The only thing on the menu that somewhat appealed to her was an old fashioned hamburger with a side of fries. It wasn't her usual go to meal, but she did like to indulge in American cuisine from time to time. The area she sat in wasn't overly occupied with the company's employees, so she had no qualms about stuffing her face with the burger. Besides, she only had a little time for a break since she would quickly resume her work afterwards.

"Didn't expect to see you down here," a man's voice spoke to her.

Nina looked up in surprise as the intruder caught her cramming food into her mouth. She said nothing as she chewed in silence, not wanting to speak with food in her mouth. 'Damn it, Eddy...he snuck up on me real good this time, I didn't even know he was back at headquarters today,' she thought whilst eating.

The Brazilian man took a seat across from her with a bottle of cola in hand. He had returned from the base where his division was stationed after going over some important drills with his men. He didn't know exactly what Jin was planning, but he was adamant about making sure every division was prepared. Perhaps he was expecting another attack from G Corp. He looked across the table at the blonde and tried not to chuckle when he noticed that she had ketchup in the corner of her mouth. She must've been starving. "Don't you and Jin usually order out? The food down here is usually hit or miss," Eddy remarked with a small grin. "I guess that burger is good with the way you're going to town on it."

This is why she preferred to eat without an audience, but because it was only Eddy she didn't mind too much. He actually humored her a little on some occasions, and in these times they could all use a little good humor. With a napkin, she wiped her mouth and was surprised that she had that much ketchup on her lips. How embarrassing. "Pretend that you didn't see any of this," she joked, dryly. "So, anything new going on?"

"Nah, same shit, different day," he said plainly while drinking his cola. He glanced around the room and noticed a group of soldiers taking a seat together at a table not too far from them. "Hm, looks like Lars and his men are back as well."

Nina followed his eyes and noticed the table full of soldiers dressed in their civilian clothes. She looked up at the spiky haired, blond man and noticed how sullen he looked. She didn't know him well, but she hadn't seen him this way before. "Alexandersson…do you know much about him?" she asked the man across from her.

Eddy shrugged. "I mean, I've seen him in action on the field, he's pretty good at what he does, but lately...I don't know. He's been different," he answered. "I know Jin wants us to keep a look out on the soldiers and report to him, but I feel weird spying on folks."

As per Jin's new policies, she and Eddy were supposed to be his eyes and ears around the soldiers to report anything suspicious, but really they'd just be professional snitches. "Well, regardless, if we notice anything we should report it," she said as she looked over to the table again and paused when she noticed the Tekken Force captain looking directly at her. "It seems that we've been spotted."

Eddy looked over to the table again and now most of the men were looking their way, some with cold, indignant stares. "I can tell you now that we're not well liked amongst some of the soldiers. They think we know everything about what's going on, but I don't know shit, I'm just following orders," he muttered, slightly upset by the judgment he received from his peers.

The blonde woman took a sip from her bottle of water and completely disregarded the looks they received. Unlike Eddy, she didn't give a damn about what they thought, and she knew everything they wanted to know. She could care less about how they felt as long as they did as they were told. "Don't worry about it, just keep them in line," she suggested to her comrade. "I have other things to worry about besides those incompetent morons."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot, you're going after that maniac, Fury. I'm sure Jin will have you take a few squads with you for assistance," he assured. Sure she had skills, but preparing to deal with a foe like that must've been a little unnerving.

"I don't need them," she said quickly in response.

Eddy's eyes widened slightly. Did she have a death wish? There was no way he'd face that guy alone without a shit ton of backup. Did she feel like she had to prove something? He wouldn't waste time trying to convince her otherwise. Once she had her mind set to do something, it was nearly impossible to deter her from achieving it. "Well, good luck and be careful, Nina. I wouldn't want to lose my only friend in this place," the capoeira fighter told her with a faint smile as he stood up from the table. "See you around."

Nina watched him leave with a small glimmer of sadness in her eyes. He was such a kind man, too kind to be engulfed in a situation like this. She wished that she didn't know everything, then she wouldn't feel sorry for him. However, due to her loyalty to her employer, she couldn't say a word or let that knowledge or any other secrets she knew interfere with her judgement. It was out of her hands. She cleaned up her quick lunch and disposed of it.

As she strode by the group of soldiers, she glared at them icily with her usual cold expression. Once, they were so bold to stare at her from afar, but now they uncomfortably averted their gazes from her, shifting in their seats and looking downwards like the cowards that they were. Pathetic. She expected more from Alexandersson, or 'Prince Valiant' as she secretly dubbed him. Now that Eddy brought it to her attention, his odd behavior was rousing her suspicion, and now he was on her radar. However, this wasn't her most important task at hand at the time, another matter took precedence over this at the moment. 'So much to deal with…so little time,' the assassin thought to herself as she left the cafeteria.

* * *

Boredom was his worst enemy, especially since being bored and being alone left him vulnerable to his dark thoughts. Lately, he had found that without the help of pills, he would have to find other ways to occupy his mind and his body. So, he trained and trained hard, and when he wasn't pushing his body to its limits, he trained his brain. He had found some interesting new reading material to keep his mind active so that he could broaden his knowledge of the world while keeping his thoughts focused on anything besides the things that robbed him of sleep for countless nights. The routine of a corporate grunt really bogged him down and stifled him, so he was glad to be doing things that came more naturally to him.

After training in his personal dojo, he returned to his office to resume his day as a professional businessman. Plus, he had to check his messages, another thing he loathed doing these days. The young business mogul sat down in his large leather chair and took in the sight of the city before him. It was close to dusk and he figured he'd wrap up his last few tasks before nightfall. Due to his time in the dojo , he actually felt exhausted enough to go to sleep earlier than he normally would. Jin picked up his cellphone from his desk and checked his messages. He had no missed calls and no messages or voice mails, but he did have several emails to sort through. As he read through his emails, he saw more of the same threatening messages from disgruntled businessmen who wished death upon him and cursed his family's name. It was nothing new, and most of them were empty threats made by old cowards who already had one foot in the grave.

A smirk pulled at his lips as he scrolled through the rest of his unread emails. 'Pitiful, ' he thought with disinterest as he finally set the device down. If they were bold enough to come for him, they'd surely regret doing so once they encountered his ruthless assassin. A beeping noise was heard from his office doors and the devil herself walked in.

Jin looked up at the fair haired woman with restrained delight as she sauntered in casually. Her style of dress was more relaxed than usual, the sleeves of her blazer were rolled up and her blouse was one button shy of covering her now exposed cleavage. Fortunately, he succeeded in keeping his mind from wandering off wantonly.

"You look relaxed, despite all of this havoc going on. What's your secret?" Nina commented as she approached his desk. Her employer seemed calmer than usual, but it was a natural calm not induced by sedatives. She was relieved that he actually heeded her words.

"I had a busy, but less stressful day than my schedule usually allows for me," he answered smoothly as he clasped his hands together. "You, on the other hand, look like you've had a rough day," he added with a smug smile tugging at his lips.

"Hmm, I'd bite my tongue if I were you, Kazama. I've been running myself ragged to prepare to intercept the next person trying to claim the bounty on your head," Nina revealed. She pulled her phone from her blazer pocket and began pulling up the messages on her phone. She had tried to sway the man from pursuing her employer, but he was persistent, and he even left some rather crude messages on her phone. "In short, he claims that he's "going to have fun fucking your army up the ass with hot lead", then he goes on to say a lot of other sexually explicit things in regards to what he's going to do to me if I try to stop him," she read the message in a monotonous tone with a straight face. Sure she was disgusted, but she was never perturbed by threats, especially not by the words from an unbalanced creep.

Jin was slightly disturbed yet amused by this man's insolence. He narrowed his brown eyes as he thought about the maniac's threats. Who the hell does he think he is? He will be humbled very soon. "You think you can handle him?" he asked in a serious tone as he stared directly into her eyes.

She flashed him a confident smirk as she took a seat in the leather chair in front of his desk. "Of course, I've been preparing for this jackass, besides I could use a little shake up in my normal routine. He's nothing to worry about," she reassured as she rested her head against the back of the chair and closed her eyes for a moment. It had been a long day of running around to several different facilities to gather the things she would need to aid her in taking her next target down should things go awry.

His curious eyes slid over her form as he watched her silently, observing nothing but the steady rise and fall of her bosom as she relaxed in the chair. He didn't understand it, but she had this strange magnetic lure that captivated his attention from time to time. He was partly intrigued because he almost deemed it dangerous and too risky to stare at her for too long, for if he were caught he'd surely suffer the wrath that he'd seen her unleash unto others who deigned to gawk at her boldly. His aforementioned apprehension was realized when she finally opened her eyes and locked her gaze with his. Jin was normally skillful at averting his eyes before this occurred, but this time he failed at masking his strange habit from her.

Nina said nothing as she caught the raven haired young man staring at her once again. She had grown accustomed to it, in fact, over time it had become their 'special thing' so to speak. It was neither discomforting nor was it particularly pleasing, it was just one of many Jin's eccentricities that she had learned to accept. Their silent staring match continued on for another minute or so before she had become bored of the game and shifted her eyes elsewhere, like the small stack of books on his desk. This was a new addition to his office. The blonde woman sat up and skimmed over the titles and authors with her eyes. _The Prince_ by Niccoló Machiavelli _, Beyond Good and Evil_ by Friedrich Nietzsche, and _The Metamorphosis_ by Franz Kafka. 'So, is this how he's going to save the world?' she pondered sarcastically.

He noticed that the books on his desk had caught her eyes and supposed it was a good way to distract themselves from whatever they were doing beforehand. "Have you read any of them?" he asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Yes," the assassin answered with a small nod.

"Which one?"

"All of them."

"So, you like reading in your free time?" He had once again found out something new and interesting about his bodyguard without resorting to trickery or perusing through her old files.

"I do, but I read them so long ago," she started as a reminiscent smile graced her lips. "In my father's study, he always had books like these laying around, and when I was bored I always found myself hiding away with one of them to pass the time." Whenever her father was away on missions, she would ease her fears for his safety by sitting in his study to be near him even in his absence. The aroma of his imported cigars mixed with his musky cologne were still alive in her thawed memories of a life she'd nearly forgotten.

It was the first time he'd ever heard her speak of her father. From her files, he learned that her parents were deceased, but a therapist's report from long ago regarding her mental state after her cold sleep suggested that she was permanently traumatized by the death of her father. He had tried not to read through some of the things transcribed about her that seemed too subjective or invasive into her private life, it just felt wrong. He observed her and was surprised that she seemed quite amiable and at ease, so he asked one more question on the subject. "Your father must've been a deep thinker to understand these works. Do you understand them as well?" It wasn't as if he were incapable of understanding the material, but sometimes the message in old books like these were often lost in translation. There were so many footnotes on each page that he could barely grasp the meaning and intent of them.

A thin smile appeared on her lips at his inquiry. She understood them well, that is, with her father's diligence to make sure she could thoroughly interpret any book she touched in his study. "Are we having a little book club together?" she joked with a slightly mocking laugh. She could see the bookmark in Machiavelli and wondered if it was the culprit in his change of tactics in running the company. "I suggest that you read Nietzsche first, it's easier to grasp and it might appeal to you more, and I would save Kafka for last," Nina advised, leaning back into the chair once more.

Jin was intrigued. He wondered what other kind of secrets lied beneath her cold and enigmatic exterior. There was definitely more to her that met the eye, and even if it was in small increments, he was interested in every new discovery about the assassin. 'I thought that reading books like these would help me make more sound decisions to cope with starting this war, but maybe I should just seek counsel from her since she seems well versed about these things,' he thought as he reached for the book pile and picked up her top suggestion.

"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you," the blonde recited cryptically.

He remained silent as her words resonated within him. 'Become a monster? But I already am,' he thought gloomily with a sullen expression. His attention was pulled to the woman in front of him as she stood up and turned away from him. "Where are you going?" he asked curiously upon immediately seeing her attempt to leave.

Nina looked over her shoulder with a blank face. "To my quarters," she answered plainly in a tired tone. She longed for a nice soak in her tub and, since books were now on her mind, she wanted to snuggle up with a good book before she retired to sleep. "I'm leaving early in the morning to prepare to take out that foul-mouthed maniac. Good night, Jin."

"Good night, Nina," he responded. He noticed a small smile on her face before she finally turned away to leave. He, too, had a smile secretly forming on his usually frowning face as he watched her go. He was feeling a little tired before she visited, but now he felt a little more energized after their conversation. Perhaps he would knock out a book tonight, but somehow he became a little curious about this next target of hers. It hadn't peaked his interest before, but after hearing those messages, he wanted to know more about that depraved degenerate before she left for that mission tomorrow.

* * *

The rest of her night was shaping up to be pretty relaxing and full of the much needed solitude she desired. After a long, luxurious soak in a hot bubble bath with a glass a wine, she was finally ready to turn in for the evening. The blonde assassin pulled back her plush comforters before climbing into bed, dressed in nothing but a white tank top with matching underwear. She hadn't either bothered to blow dry her hair before bed, it'd be dry in the morning anyway. Her weary body sunk into the soft, warm bed and she knew she would be able to get a full night's rest. She deserved it considering the long day she had ahead of her.

She closed her eyes with a small sigh as she thought about her next mission. 'Fury...that rabid madman. I wonder who hired him to take out Jin. I wouldn't be surprised if it was indeed his father. What a crazy, dysfunctional family,' she thought as she felt herself drifting to sleep.

The sudden sound of her phone beeping loudly immediately jolted her from her would be slumber. Nina sighed heavily in annoyance. She hated that damn phone, from the stupid company emails to the invasive technology imbedded in it. She reluctantly reached over to her nightstand to glance at the device. It was a text, from Jin surprisingly, and she wondered what was so urgent that he had to send it so late. She hoped it wasn't something she had to reply to immediately, she wasn't a big fan of texting. She opened the message and read it, and a scowl began appearing on her once peaceful face. "You've got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed angrily as she threw the comforters off her and ran to her closet to throw something on quickly.

* * *

It was rather late nown, and he finally figured he'd return to his quarters to rest. He had gotten thrown off course by the last minute research he conducted and the hours just flew by. Too bad he hadn't done it earlier, he could've made his final decision to save everyone precious time. By morning, he would sort everything out and hopefully she would understand that he had her best interests at heart. As he approached the door to his office, he was surprised when he heard the lock beep as someone gained access to his domain. His heart rate increased slightly when the door opened to reveal a livid woman dressed in a grey track suit and sneakers with a deep frown on her lips.

Once the door opened she immediately stepped closely towards the taller raven haired man with a score to settle. "What the hell is the meaning of this, Kazama?" she questioned irately as she took another threatening step towards him. "Why are you pulling me from my mission and handing it over to another unit of soldiers? I prepared long and hard for this and it makes no sense for you to force me to sit it out! What's going through your head?"

Jin, almost intimidated, took a small step backwards away from the fuming assassin. Even if she was slightly shorter without her heels, she was still very threatening when she was angry. She was firing a barrage of questions at him and he didn't know how to answer her exactly. Did she want the truth? He couldn't tell her, she'd only become more upset with him. "It's for the best. That target is far too destructive and dangerous for you to face alone. I know you didn't want to work with a small team of soldiers, so I decided to let my secret service handle him. It's much safer this way," he reasoned with her calmly, hoping to ease her anger. The look of betrayal in her eyes made him feel a pang of guilt.

Nina shook her head in disbelief at his drastic change of mind and wondered if he realized the major error he had made. "You're sending those men to their deaths. He'll rip through them with ease...then he'll head here and destroy everything!" she warned as she paced around her employer hotly.

"You underestimate the power of my soldiers, they're not incompetent."

"Oh, really? Well, I think you're underestimating me, Jin, " she said tersely with a look of disappointment painting her features. She stopped pacing and folded her arms across her chest as she glared daggers at him.

This conversation was now making him slightly uncomfortable. He felt guilty for making this decision, but after doing research and reviewing articles and news clips of the destruction Bryan Fury was capable of, he couldn't let her face him alone. She was a very skilled assassin, but her opponent was a complete wildcard and a violent sociopath. He would never knowingly place her in immediate danger, especially not to save his life. He was not known to reverse his decisions and he wouldn't start now, even for her. "I'm sorry, but I'm just doing what I think is best," he said brusquely as he tried to walk past her. She blocked his path boldly and continued to glare at him. He looked down at her with a small grunt of impatience.

Nina wouldn't let this issue go so easily. She was a little offended that he didn't think she was capable of doing her job effectively. "Why am I here, Jin?" she asked, boring her icy eyes into his. She was beginning to feel like she was wasting her time with this job. Who in their right mind would hire an assassin for the exorbitant price he was paying only to have them doing nothing besides babysit all day? Her determination was inflexible as she attempted to understand her employer's motives.

"You don't think an army of soldiers are capable of stopping him, but you are?" he belittled, almost insultingly.

That stung her pride, especially hearing it from someone who supposedly hired her because he was impressed by her skills. She wanted to slap him across the face, or worse, but she restrained herself from being too rash. Instead, she turned away from him sharply and prepared to leave. She had no more words to speak to him at the moment.

When she turned to leave, he instinctively reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders. He could feel her tense up under the grey hoodie she was wearing. "Wait," he spoke in a softer tone to diffuse the tension between them. "Nina, I'm sorry, I just don't want you to get hurt, especially if it can be avoided. Please understand, " he said sincerely. He still held her by her shoulders to prevent her from fleeing prematurely.

She was beyond upset with him at the moment, and the fact that he was holding onto her did nothing to relieve her anger. He could say sorry a thousand times and it would mean nothing to her now, not after he failed to have faith in her abilities. She glanced over her shoulder to look back at him briefly, doing her best to prevent any of the whirlwind of emotions swirling within her from surfacing through her aloof expression. "I don't need to be protected, I'm not a helpless little girl, but suit yourself, you're the boss," she spoke with a hint of snarkiness clinging to her tone. She wriggled from his grasp and exited from his office.

Jin was left alone again, feeling conflicted and low about what had occurred between them. He didn't know what to do to make amends with her now. He was only doing what he felt was right. 'Why is she here, if not to protect me?' He recalled her previous question to him. The question stumped even him as he left his office as well to turn in for the night.

* * *

With her newly cleared schedule, much to her chagrin, she decided that she would do absolutely nothing. Hell, she probably wouldn't even leave her quarters for the day. Since she started working for the Mishima Zaibatsu she hadn't had a single day to herself, but since she was stripped of her mission she would relish in a little alone time. Due to her mood, she wouldn't even bother checking in with her employer, she needed a break from him most of all. She would answer no calls or pages from him today, and she definitely needed to cool off before seeing him face to face again.

Nina laid in her bed lazily and did nothing but stare up at her ceiling in complete boredom. She still felt very bitter about the situation, but maybe she should have been grateful. Was Jin truly so concerned for her safety that he didn't want his personal bodyguard to do anything besides stand by his side all day? She definitely didn't sign on to be a prop by his side. He barely left the Central Tower, so why was he afraid? His plans weren't even in full motion, yet he was hiding away like a recluse prematurely. Whatever his reasons were, she didn't agree with them, not this time. In her bitter mood, she had maliciously hoped that his little secret service failed. She wanted them to get demolished, and when the infamous "one man army" was toppling over his empire, Jin would see the great error in his judgment. She smirked at her dark thoughts for a moment before coming to her senses. She was angry, yes, but that shouldn't force her to sway her loyalty to be in favor of the enemy winning.

Her phone beeped and she sighed heavily in annoyance. It was most likely Jin summoning her to his office, undoubtedly to apologize or explain himself. She would take a gander at it, but she wasn't leaving her room; she did not want to see him. The blonde assassin reached for her phone and skimmed through the message. Her eyes widened slightly. 'Oh, well it looks like the ball is back in my court. I'm sorry, boys, but you'll thank me later,' she thought as she finally got up from her bed to prepare to do what she did best.

* * *

Phew! Another long chapter! Looks like there's a possible showdown between Nina and Bryan on the way... R&R!


	10. Her Beautiful Hysteria

Greetings everyone! I'm back again with another long chapter. I had no idea it was this long until I tried to break it up.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.

* * *

What the hell was going on? He couldn't believe that he had to deal with such incompetence and insubordination on a daily basis. Once he got the call from the leader of his unit he knew what she had done, and now he was pissed. He had left the comfort of his office and took a car ride to one of their nearest military bases to meet up with his soldiers. He should've known something was amidst when he had tried to contact her all day and her phone went straight to voice mail. He couldn't believe that she had the audacity to disobey his wishes.

Jin exited his private black car and walked towards the group of soldiers waiting around for his arrival in the hangar. They all saluted him stiffly as he approached, and the leader quickly stepped forward to give him a report.

"Master Kazama, sir, we received false information about the mission. We were told that the target was to meet her in the urban district at 1200 hours, but when we arrived the target was nowhere in sight and we were unable to contact Miss Williams to receive clarification," the soldier reported hurriedly.

Jin folded his arms and cast his eyes downward, his raven bangs shielded expression from the men in front of him. This was a complete mess. Did she plan this all along, or was this a last minute stunt that she pulled? What the hell was she thinking? 'Nina...she directly disobeyed my orders, and for what? She couldn't put her foolish pride aside for once?' he thought, quite vexed with the situation.

"Sir, what are your orders now?" a soldier spoke up. "Are we to pursue and retrieve Miss Williams after we receive new intel on where to meet the target?"

"No," Jin said abruptly. He looked up at them with his usual stoic expression. They all seemed confused or nervous about the situation. "Does anyone know anything about her whereabouts? Can her phone be tracked?"

"We tried, but the GPS shows that she's at Central because she didn't take it with her. Perhaps she just ran away, or maybe the target cancelled his meeting to throw us off and catch us by the element of surprise," the Tekken Force soldier surmised, trying to offer his superior some answers.

He wish he knew how to get inside of her head to understand her reasoning. He wanted to keep her away from danger and this is how she repaid him? He didn't know how to react to this situation. Was he upset, nervous, or just plain disappointed? He was surely upset, but even so, he would find her and stop her before she did something truly foolish. With pure intensity in his eyes, he looked at his unit of soldiers and said, "Cover her tracks and find her. I want to know where she is even if you have to interrogate every one in sight. Find her." When he found her, and he will, he planned on punishing her accordingly for her insolence.

* * *

They were on standby until it was time for her to meet her target. The helicopter sat out of sight on top of a building to surveil the streets to keep a lookout for her target. She knew that Jin had to know what was going on by now, and she could only imagine the ferocious gleam in his eyes as he was probably setting out to stop her. She felt she had pulled this off rather covertly, but with his resources he'd find her soon. With the help of a pilot she had bribed, and maybe threatened as well, she was able to fly away stealthily to the rendezvous point.

It honestly wasn't in her intentions to disobey Jin's orders, but this opportunity was just too good to disregard. When she received the message from Bryan to change the time and location of their meeting, she knew it was the perfect opportunity to give Jin's men the slip with a little misdirection on her part. Hopefully, by the time they were able to locate her, she would have already eliminated the threat. This was probably going to get messy, but hopefully the chosen location near an old abandoned factory would cut down on any unintentional casualties should their showdown get too intense.

Nina sat in the helicopter beside the anxious pilot as she checked her equipment. She checked the ammunition of her assault rifle and her handgun to make sure that they were fully loaded, and she counted the number of hand grenades she had in her possession as well as other weapons in her arsenal. She didn't intend on it to take this much to take him down, but battles were always unpredictable. 'I hope this doesn't take all day, I really want another nice long soak in the tub,' she thought as she held her rifle to her chest.

"Ma'am, how much longer until he arrives? I should really report back to base...this was a bad idea," the soldier fretted, obviously afraid of the consequences he would face for leaving his post unannounced. It was close to dusk and he had been missing since before noon.

The assassin gave him a side eye in annoyance as he continuously attempted to wimp out on her. She had spared him from a brutal beating and ordered him, somewhat nicely, to escort her to her destination when she could have easily knocked him unconscious and commandeered the helicopter for herself. "Keep your headset off. You're not going to contact anyone until this is all over," she commanded flatly. "Besides, you can blame everything on me should anything go wrong."

"Ma'am?"

"Now what?"

"Is that the guy?" he asked while looking over the area to a lone figure walking down the deserted street.

Nina followed his gaze and saw the man from afar with what appeared to be a bazooka hoisted over his shoulder. She smirked. 'This is definitely going to get messy.'

"What should I do?" the pilot asked nervously.

"Move a mile north of this area. I'm getting off here, and I'll try to keep this little meeting contained in this area, but for your safety, you're better off moving a little further away," she instructed as she grabbed her weapons and equipment before disembarking from the helicopter. She walked to the edge of the old factory building and looked down at her target as he approached closer. Without further thought, she used her rappel gun to descend down from the building and decided to greet her guest.

The man halted in his tracks when a blonde woman landed on the ground not too far from him and he cackled maniacally in amusement. "That bastard sent you out here all alone to face the big bad wolf?" he asked as he walked closer to her.

Nina watched the man as he drew nearer and placed a hand on her hip. He was dressed in nothing but blue camouflage pants and had a red bandana tied around his right arm. His muscular body was covered in old battle scars from top to bottom. He was a true brute, a savage beast, and a complete wild man, but despite his infamy as a crazed warmongering animal, she would bring him down. Her rifle was strapped to her back, for now, and she wanted to focus on giving him one last chance to turn back before things got out of hand. "Are you sure you want to go through with this? It's not too late to abandon this mission," Nina warned the man calmly.

He scoffed at her words with a crazed grin and replied, "You want me to leave without relieving some tension? What a tease!" His eyes raked over her body lustfully as he licked his lips. That purple bodysuit she was wearing was driving him wild, all those buckles and straps definitely reminded of some kinky bondage play.

The blonde assassin rolled her eyes in disgust as he unabashedly stared at her chest. She simply smirked as she shook her head at the man. "You must be really hard up for the money if you've come all this way to seek out my employer," she remarked as she glared him down.

"Ha, who cares about money? I came here to have fun with you, doll. You look like you like to play rough...I like a woman who likes to get a little dirty," he said, smiling at the innuendo.

"Hmph, you don't even care about your mission, do you?" she questioned. He was a strange customer, but his apathy towards his contract with whomever he was working for was interesting. "Who sent you?"

A huge smirk appeared on his face. "I'll tell you if you come over here and give me a nice face sitting, baby," Bryan suggested with a lecherous grin.

Nina cradled her face in her palm with a heavy sigh. She returned her gaze to him and finally reached for her assault rifle and said, "Let's just get this over with."

The mercenary aimed his bazooka at her with a grin. "I hope you can keep up with my rhythm, dolly!" he finally fired his bazooka with a crazed laugh.

Nina swiftly dove out of the line of fire and rolled out of the way to avoid the fiery explosion with her rifle in hand, hasty to fire back at him. She let loose a barrage of bullets at him and watched as he quickly ran out of her sight to take refuge behind a parked car. She wanted to avoid endangering civilians, but property damage was always inevitable. She continued to fire at the vehicle impassively as she riddled it with holes and shattered the windows. She ceased fire when she saw a canister roll near her feet. Of course he threw a grenade, she didn't expect anything less from him.

Nina put her agility to the test and took refuge behind a concrete road block to avoid the blast. To her surprise, there was no blast, but the area quickly became shrouded in smoke. 'A smoke grenade, huh? I guess he wants to turn this battle into hand to hand combat. I definitely wanted to avoid that," she thought as she desperately tried to resist the urge to cough and give away her location as she stealthily tried to move to a new location to hide.

"I'm glad you let me reschedule our meeting, you see, I was a little hungover earlier and didn't want to give you a half-assed performance," his voice rang out over the smoke filled street. "I want you to feel my raw power as I give you the pounding of a lifetime." He laughed at his own words as he stalked around nearby to find her.

She ignored his disgusting rant and kept her guard up as she kept her finger on the trigger as her eyes darted around to furtively scan the area for her opponent. 'I knew his battle tactics were unpredictable, but I'm sure he's just using this as a distraction to reload that damn bazooka,' she sneered at the thought, especially since his weapon of choice instantly reminded her of her floozy sister. A crunch of glass was heard behind her and she quickly whipped around to the sound. Upon doing so, she found herself narrowly dodging a punch being thrown at her face as he almost successfully snuck up on her.

"Your body heat is fiery hot!" he told her as he reached for her rifle during her brief distraction. Being a cyborg, his vision allowed him to locate her rather easily, even amidst the smog blanket.

Nina held onto her rifle and slipped into an old bad habit of hers as she quickly launched a kick to his groin. To her dismay, he laughed it off and the sick creep even appeared to enjoy it. She gasped when he reached out with a free hand and gripped it around her neck. He was just itching to get his hands on her it seemed. Screw the gun, she needed to put a little distance between them. She released her grip on her weapon and used her free hand to deliver a hard back hand slap to his face, which stunned him just enough to cause him to loosen his grip, allowing her to slip away and out of the strap of her rifle. It was his now since he wanted it so badly, but surprisingly he flung it aside with a cocky grin. The smoke was now waning away to improve visibility of the area again.

"Come on, I came for a fun little one on one fight with you! Why waste all this ammo when we could do this the old fashioned way?" he bargained with a shrug.

She knew the many disadvantages of engaging in close quarter battle with a cyborg, but she figured it would be a great way to reach the finale of their showdown. She said nothing as she moved into her battle stance and emoted with her eyes for him to give it his all. 'Avoid his punches and subdue him, then do what must be done,' she mentally instructed herself.

* * *

After much investigating that led him no where, he finally found the answers he sought in the last place he thought to check, her private quarters. She had left her phone in her room not only to prevent him from tracking it, but to leave him vital information about her whereabouts. Reading through her most recent emails, he discovered everything concerning her rescheduled meeting with Bryan Fury.

Now, he and his small team of soldiers were on their way to the location via chopper. He only hoped it wasn't too late to reach her in time. What could possibly possess her to go well out of her way to fight such a dangerous psychopath? Was she completely mad? She was a glutton for action and perilous situations. He supposed that in a life of an assassin such things were commonplace for her, but he was admittedly worried that she'd be outmatched by an opponent who enjoyed destruction with no qualms about how many he killed along the way.

Jin's mood fluctuated up and down as he sat quietly in the corner of the helicopter away from the other three occupants, including the pilot. He had gone from being furious to worried back and forth throughout the day, and now his stomach felt like it had twisted into a hard knot. Besides the soldiers, he had brought along a suitcase filled with double the amount of the bounty price that was placed on his head. It was a coward's way out, but it beat the other disastrous outcomes that were bound to happen if he didn't put an end to this madness.

As he looked out of the window and down at the landscape they flew over he realized this was the first time in a while that he had left HQ. He had been a shut in for the last few weeks due to his paranoia and distrust of everyone and everything. He let out a long, heavy sigh as his eyes fell upon the setting sun, which would normally calm him, but his mind was too preoccupied to enjoy it. 'I'll just pay him off and bring Nina back with me, then we're going to have a long discussion about her behavior,' the dark haired man thought, anxious to get this all over with.

"Sir, we've spotted the missing helicopter on a building up ahead," a soldier reported. "Permission to land to quickly interrogate the pilot, sir?

"Make it quick!" he urged. The pilot probably knew more about her plans and they could use all the information they could get, but they had to be hasty about it.

* * *

The assassin forcefully thrust her palms into her opponent's chest and the impact sent him skidding back a few feet. She quickly followed up by leaping towards him to grip him in a tight grapple in which she used all of her strength to attempt to snap his leg within the hold. He struggled hard and was highly resistant to allowing her get the better of him. He fought back and broke out of her hold and kicked her off of him. Nina grunted in anger as she grew impatient with dealing with the bionic man.

Bryan regained his composure and began throwing a combo of hard hitting punches at her, which she dodged, but not as skillfully as she had done before. Her stamina was wearing thin, and pretty soon he'd have her where he wanted her. She reversed the last punch he threw and she quickly grabbed his arm and in a series of intricate moves she flipped him onto the ground with a thud. He was surprised she still had fight in her after they had been going at it for a while now. He laughed as he peeled himself from the ground and looked over at the relentless blonde assassin. "Damn, you're really dedicated to your job," he commented with a smirk as he stood up again. "You must reap a lot of benefits working for a man like Jin Kazama, huh?" He figured he'd let her catch her breath a little while he took a moment to take in the sight of the blonde beauty.

She was a little winded now, and now it would be in her best interests to use the last ace up her sleeve to quickly end things. She had effectively dodged his blows and landed a few of her own on him, but it wasn't enough to take down someone like him, she had to get a little creative. She returned to her battle stance with a deadly gleam in her eyes and fiercely declared, "Time to die!"

Bryan smiled smugly at her diligence and perseverance as he put his fists up once again. "I won't kill you, but I'm going to break you real bad, then I'm going to kill your boss," he threatened darkly with a sadistic grin. "It's been fun, doll, but I'm ready for the climax!" He charged at her again and began throwing a series of kick and punch combos at her again, and surprisingly, she was still able to keep up with his rhythm.

The assassin continued to dodge his blows artfully, but if she didn't subdue him quickly, she'd be more vulnerable to receive the pounding he was aching to give her. He was definitely trying to wear her down, but she refused to let him succeed. 'He's throwing some haymakers my way, I better end this soon,' she thought, trying to devise her next battle tactic. In a brief moment of breaking to regain their breath, she took the opportunity to hit a button on a small device connected to her hip. Ten minutes, that's all she needed. She saw Bryan charging her again, throwing a hard punch sure to render the strongest man unconscious. She, however, was able to quickly sidestep the punch and grab onto his extended arm, which she flipped her leg over and pulled him to the ground in a tight arm grapple. She twisted his non-bionic arm so painfully that even a masochist like him groaned in agony. She held onto him as long as she could before he fought back and broke free, finally throwing her off him. Nina rolled onto the ground before catching her footing and her breath again.

Bryan got onto his feet again, ignoring the aching in his left shoulder. Now, he was getting upset, and the scowl on his scarred face showed that he was no longer having fun. He glared at the woman dangerously, thinking of the several ways he was going to maim and break her in half. He gritted his teeth and motioned for her to run up once again. Once she charged him she threw a swift kick at his head, it connected, but he was able to seize her by the leg. His hand shot forward and gripped her tightly around her neck and with a good measure of his strength, he picked her up and slammed her onto the hard concrete.

Nina collided into ground and she felt the air rush from her lungs. A sharp pain rocketed throughout her body and she laid on the ground for a moment, too tired and stunned to rise to her feet at the moment. However, the cyborg offered her some assistance as he knelt down and gripped her neck tightly before lifting her from the ground and into the air with the strength of one arm alone. She coughed and struggled to breathe, and her eyes were beginning to water as he tried to squeeze the life out of her body. 'I have to hold out...a little longer,' she thought as she struggled to breathe.

She heard the sound of a helicopter approaching and she wondered why the pilot had followed her when she ordered him to stay back. 'That idiot is going to ruin everything!' With newfound vigor, she grabbed onto Bryan's arm and once again utilized her grappling skills as she swung her legs around his arm and applied enough pressure with her thighs to cause him to loosen his grip on her throat. The chopper was getting closer and was probably hovering over them. A little more than seven minutes remained. The crazed cyborg gave her no time to recover as he began swinging wildly at her. She could barely catch her breath as he forced her to dodge his blows once again.

"Nina!" a strong voice rang out over the area over the loud spinning blades of the helicopter.

The voice startled her, and instinctively she whipped around to look up at the person calling out to her. 'Jin?! Why is he here?!' She was shocked by his appearance. She didn't think he'd leave the comfort of his office to pursue her. In her moment of distraction, she realized she made a fatal error.

Bryan laughed as he finally connected one of his infamous punches with her abdomen. He felt her body curl over his fist as she practically went completely limp. "Sorry about that, sweetheart, but it's been fun," he said to her in a low voice. The assassin crumpled to her knees while cradling her abdomen before completely falling to the ground. "Now that your boss is here, I can get rid of him too, and if you stay conscious long enough, you'll get a front row seat to the show," the cyborg told her with a sickening grin.

Her abdomen was screaming in pain and she could barely focus on the words the man spoke to her. The air had completely evacuated from her lungs from the impact of his punch, and she found it exceedingly difficult to reclaim her lost breath. Her face scrunched up in pain as she laid on the cold concrete of the street, writhing in pain while trying not to let out anguished cries. Why did Jin come for her? How could he be so foolish to hand himself over to his headhunter on a silver platter? Not only that, his appearance put another cog in her plan. How long did she have left now? Less than five minutes. 'I can't blackout...come on, get your shit together...' she pled with herself silently.

Jin was most certainly furious now. His eyes focused on Nina, who was now incapacitated from being hit by the crazed man. "Land the chopper," he ordered in a grave tone. He stripped off his leather coat and then proceeded to unbutton the cuffs of his sleeves of his silk shirt to roll them up.

One of the soldiers looked at him in confusion as he did this. "Sir, I thought you were going to drop off the payment, you're not thinking about facing him, are you?" the armored suit clad man asked.

"Don't question me, just follow my orders!" he bit out angrily.

Bryan looked up at the young man in the helicopter with another laugh. "Are you seeing this? It looks like your boss is here to rescue his damsel in distress," he mocked as he looked back at the injured woman on her hands and knees behind him. He knew that she was in severe pain, but even so, it seemed she simply refused to stay down.

The blonde grit her teeth in pain as she clenched her fists on the ground to try to lift herself up. The pain was searing and she definitely wouldn't mind to be knocked unconscious to be granted temporary relief from this suffering. She craned her head just enough to see Jin being lowered in the helicopter, strapping on his red gauntlets as if he were ready to rip Bryan in half. "Jin...go...now," she murmured, barely audible to anyone. Under two minutes were left now.

Bryan heard her labored voice and smiled smugly before looking back at the Mishima boy. "Your girl here is a handful…a real firecracker! She's really devoted to her job...most would've fled the scene once they saw my face, but this one..." he paused as he stepped over to her and placed his booted foot into her back and pushed her back onto the ground again. "She has heart. Too bad this'll be her last stand, but I'm pretty sure you've had your chance with her already, eh?" He smirked at the young man suggestively. He relished in the sound of her soft cries of pain, it was a symphony to his ears.

Jin's anger was reaching a boiling point, but if he wasn't careful, things could go wrong for everyone if the beast inside him surfaced. Once the chopper was low enough, he jumped down and he looked down the road at his supposed killer. "Five hundred thousand," he said flatly.

Bryan's eyes narrowed. "Five hundred thousand what?" he shouted out to him in question.

"I'm doubling the price of the bounty you were owed," he explained as he held up a black briefcase. "Take the money and leave!" Jin sneered as the man laughed maniacally.

Were her ears deceiving her? Even through her pain, she clearly heard that ludicrous offer. 'Jin, don't be a fool! If you give this creep a half a million dollars...I'll kill you myself!' she thought angrily. She was still pinned beneath his foot and any time she tried to move he applied more pressure. He was in close range of her now, and at least the boys in the helicopter landed. The ball was back in her court once again. Less than a minute now.

The cyborg's laughter finally subsided, and he looked at the spiky haired boy again in disbelief. "You came out here in your expensive suit at night in the worst part of the city to give me half a million dollars to leave you and your girl alone? What a pussy move!" he spat out with disdain.

Jin ignored his taunts and his crude insults. He didn't care what he thought, he just wanted this to all be over and done with. If he didn't take the cash, he would eradicate the man himself. "Get away from her and go!" he yelled angrily with clenched fists.

"I don't do this for the money, it's all about the thrill. Keep your cash, Mishima dog!" he spat. He laughed as he looked down at the woman under his foot and roughly yanked her up by her arm. More groans of pain erupted from her as he held her up and seized her by the neck. "Can I get a goodbye kiss before I snap your pretty little neck, doll face?" He smirked. He could hear the rapid footsteps of Jin charging towards them in a rage.

"Fuck off, creep," Nina choked out in a strained voice. A loud beeping noise emanated from a device clipped to her belt. In an instant, the entire area went black. Another groan of anguish slipped from her lips when she felt a great weight collapse on top of her as she hit the ground. Her poor aching ribs were being punished beyond belief.

'What's going on?' Jin thought as he halted in his tracks and whipped around in the darkness to find the assassin. Was there a blackout? "Nina?! Are you okay?" he called out to her.

The soldiers got out of the helicopter and used high-shine flashlights to search the area. The helicopter controls were down, but hopefully they'd be able to fly back to HQ with fuel alone. One of the men ran to Jin's side with a light to help him locate the woman. "Over there, sir!" he shouted as he shone his light onto two figures.

Nina was pinned underneath Bryan's weight after he collapsed onto her, completely unmoving. He was heavy as hell, but at the current moment she lacked the strength to roll him off of her, especially with her bruised abdomen singing in pain. The soldier continued to shine his light on her and she could hear footsteps approaching her quickly. The sound of another helicopter flying over the area could be heard. The helicopter shone extra lighting over the area and vastly improved visibility for them. Jin rushed to her and carefully pried the unconscious man off of her and tossed him aside with relative ease. That was a tremendous help. She felt his arms encircle around her shoulders as he attempted to help her up to her feet.

He noticed her pained expression as he tried to move her and that hard knot of worry twisted within his gut again. Why didn't she listen to him? He didn't like seeing her this way, and this could've been avoided if she would have only listened to him. He looked over to the unconscious cyborg and wondered what the hell she did to him. It didn't matter now, he had to get her back to the chopper and rush her to receive medical treatment.

He looked down at the injured blonde woman, and she stared back up at him with tired eyes. "Nina, I'm going to help you stand...hold onto me," he said in a low voice as he carefully helped her up from the ground, wincing whenever she moaned in pain from his efforts. He pulled her arm around his neck and carefully rose to his feet with his other arm around her waist.

She had fractured her ribs numerous times in her career, it was nothing, but the repeated aggravation to the area really exacerbated the pain ten fold. Now that she was on her feet again, with Jin's help, she felt that she could move around on her own. "Thanks," she said softly as she looked up at the taller man by her side. She looked over to Bryan again. "We should take him in for questioning if his human half is still salvageable. The EMP shut him down temporarily, but it probably wasn't enough to kill him for good," she reported to him.

Jin's face tensed at her words. He couldn't believe that after all that happened she still viewed this as a normal mission. She could have died, yet she disregarded it as if it were nothing. Her nonchalance towards her own mortality was frightening and infuriating at times. The assassin was a mad woman indeed. She began to pull out of his hold on her to walk back to the chopper on her own. "What's wrong with you? What are you doing?" he questioned in annoyance.

The blonde attempted to limp away from him with the little ounce of energy she had recovered. She looked into Jin's angry yet worrisome eyes with a weak smirk. "I'm fine. Don't fret over me, this is nothing compared to what could've happened," she reminded. He shouldn't have come for her in the first place, the act alone still showed that he still didn't trust in her abilities, but in an odd way she was flattered that he cared enough to do so. She cradled her sore, throbbing midsection with her arm and limped towards the newly arrived chopper. She wondered if he ratted her out, but it didn't matter now.

Jin watched her limp away in shock. She was too headstrong and prideful for her own good, but he, too, had been that way all his life as well. However, with her injuries, now wasn't the time to pretend to be strong. He caught up to her in a matter of a few steps since she moved at a snail's pace, and he forcefully assisted her trek to the helicopter by slinging her arm over his neck while holding onto her waist. He remained silent as they approached the helicopter.

"Jin, I told you I'm fine," Nina protested again.

"Be quiet," he hissed dismissively to her refusal for his help as he motioned for the pilot to help her in.

Her blue eyes widened a bit at his response. He was dead serious now, she must've pissed him off. She smirked slightly in amusement and silently complied.

Jin looked around again and noticed the soldiers he brought were looking down at the cyborg. He figured that he'd listen to his bodyguard and send him to the lab to see what they could do with him. He ordered them to load him into the other helicopter to have the pilot take him back to HQ. He climbed into the helicopter and they finally took off. He made sure the injured woman laid flat on her back on the bench to relax. He knelt down beside her to check her condition, she seemed fine now. "Don't think that you're not in trouble for disobeying my orders," he reminded her sternly with a serious expression.

Nina parted her lips and let out a tired sigh as she slowly turned her head towards him. So, he was still angry about that? "Are you going to punish me, Mr. Kazama?" she said mockingly.

"I'm serious, Nina!" he snapped lightly. "Don't you know how wor-" he paused for a moment to rephrase his words. He looked away from her and said in a low voice, "You were reckless."

She was too exhausted and in too much pain to argue with him. If he wanted to punish her for preventing an enemy from coming after him, then so be it, but she was only doing her job as she saw fit. "Reckless, but still alive. It's part of my job to take risks...so I did in order to keep you and the Mishima Zaibatsu safe," she explained tiredly. How many times must she say this to him?

"I was worried that you wouldn't make it back, that's all," he confessed candidly as he cast his eyes downward briefly. Though she was his bodyguard and an important asset to his team, truthfully and unintentionally, he had slowly become dependent on her companionship. In his new world, she was all he had. She lifted her gloved hand weakly and gently pressed it to his cheek. The raven haired man looked at her in mild surprise. It was rare, if ever, that she displayed the more sentimental side of her personality to him or anyone.

She let a small, weak smile dance along her lips despite the pain she was feeling. "You're kind, Jin, even if you don't want to show it, and everything you're going through...you don't deserve it. That's why I try so hard...to keep anything bad from happening to you so that you can complete your goals," she spoke in a soft and sincere tone. She removed her hand from his cheek and he reached up to gently clasp it within his own. She grew quiet as she closed her eyes. The pain wasn't subsiding.

Her words echoed in his mind as he still held her hand to let her know he was still by her side. He skimmed over her form to survey any other damage she had endured during her battle. Her midsection was beginning to bruise, the reddish purple tint appearing on her skin definitely indicated that she had some internal bleeding. Also, he noticed dark bruise marks forming around her throat again. It unnerved him to see her like this even if she was trained in this line of work and had grown accustomed to treating her body like a deadly weapon. Jin observed her face and saw that she didn't seem to be resting peacefully. A grimace was present on her visage as she slowly writhed in discomfort. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked with worry as he gave her hand a slight squeeze.

"Jin, I need you..." her voice trailed off as she whimpered a little in discomfort.

His heart rate increased slightly as she uttered those words. What did she mean by that? He was confused and didn't know how to respond. "Nina...I..." he stammered a bit as he looked down at her.

"I need you to...give me a shot of morphine," she finished as she opened her eyes lazily to look at him. "The case...under the bench." He seemed a little flustered, but she was in far too much pain to care about anything else at the moment.

Her words pulled him from his awkward moment of stupor, and he did as he was told and opened the medical case under the bench. It was packed with bandages, antiseptics, antibiotics, and pain killers. He found a packet containing a vial of morphine with a syringe and opened it to prepare it for her. He cleaned the skin of her exposed upper arm and gave her the injection. He had his fair share of morphine shots after some intense battles he survived in past tournaments. He only hoped it would act quickly enough to end her suffering.

"Thanks..." she whispered softly as she closed her eyes again. "...for caring..." her voice trailed off again as the effects of the drug were starting to kick in a little.

His lips twitched into a small smile at her words as he continued to watch over her as she drifted off. She was insane for disobeying his orders, but her devotion to her job was unparalleled. She had done her research on the target, and in retrospect, he was now convinced that his secret service would have fallen prey to the enemy. Thanks to her, he had one less adversary attempting to kill him or impede his plans.

The twinkling city lights below them captured his attention momentarily as they flew over the city on route to the Central Tower. The crisp autumn air circulated through the helicopter, sending a small chill throughout his body. He returned his attention to the resting woman and draped his previously discarded leather coat over her sleeping form. Due to her scanty attire, he was sure that she had to be cold if the night air was able to affect him. As usual, he fell into an old habit and began to gaze down at the assassin with interest. Even bruised and weary, in his eyes her beauty remained untarnished, in fact, seeing her this way only served to further increase his appreciation of her skills and his attraction to her.

Jin slowly reached his hand out towards her face and carefully placed it on her cheek, and he gently brushed a few tendrils of hair from her face with his fingers as he silently observed her. His touch was feather light as to not rouse or disturb her from her drug induced slumber. The feel of her soft, warm skin beneath his large palm only further enticed him to do something he had desperately tried to refrain from doing in the past when his male curiosity got the better of his senses.

The raven haired man leaned over her face slowly and lightly pressed his lips to hers, giving the woman a gentle, chaste kiss. Her lips were warm and soft against his cooler ones, and as his lips lingered against hers, his heart began pounding against his chest rapidly. Jin parted from her lips and slowly retreated from her. A low sigh escaped from his lips as the excitement, arousal, and guilt from his actions began rushing over him at once.

What the hell was he thinking? He bit his lower lip lightly in frustration as he slowly shook his head. His eyes fell upon the unconscious woman once more before he forced them to look elsewhere. The cool air caused him to shiver again as he stared off into the dark night sky, letting the night lights temporarily distract his troubled mind. He admonished himself for his own stupidity. This was the beginning of the end of his life, he had no time to give in to his curiosity and self-indulgence.

* * *

Sorry, I had to scale back Bryan's strength a bit to make this workable. When I envisioned the fight, I didn't want it to simply be Nina dodging cars and blasts aimed at her lol. Jin...keep your willpower strong lol. Thanks for reading! R&R


	11. A Moment of Respite

Hello everyone! Chapter 11 is here! I meant to update sooner, but things have been a bit busy for me lately. Sorry about that! As always, I really appreciate everyone's reviews and interest in this story. Thanks! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.

* * *

If she had known that she'd receive the royal treatment and pampering at the hospital, then she would have made it a habit to always report there for minor injuries. Of course for most, cracked ribs, some internal bleeding, and a mild concussion weren't minor wounds, but due to her high tolerance to pain, it was a cakewalk. She had been in the hospital for a few days to recover from that soul shattering punch she had received from Fury, but with plenty of bed rest and the right combination of meds she felt brand new. She wanted to leave much sooner, but the staff was under strict orders to make sure she didn't move until they had clearance from the big boss.

Nina sat comfortably in her hospital bed with a pale blue hospital gown with a gray zip up hoodie covering her shoulders to keep herself warm in the sometimes chilly hospital room. The first day she had come to, she was surprised at how many colorful, decorative flowers with get well soon cards she had received. Did this many people actually care about her well being? She didn't dwell on it for too long, but she supposed that it was a nice gesture.

She looked over to the windows as the bright sunlight seeped into room and wondered what the day would go for her. Hopefully, she would be able to leave the hospital and return to headquarters. She was grateful to spend most of the week resting, but too much rest made her feel anxious. Too bad she didn't have any books or something to do to preoccupy her time besides sleeping and flipping through crappy television shows all day.

A light knock came at her door, and she granted the person entry into the room. As the door opened, the first thing she saw was a colorful bouquet of flowers. A tall man stepped in with a smile. "Hey, lady," he said as he stepped in and approached her bedside. "You're looking well today. I guess it takes a lot to take you out completely."

A little smile appeared on her face as she looked up at her visitor. "Eddy, I didn't think you'd be back in town. Are you the culprit that's been bringing in all these flowers?" she asked jokingly.

Eddy took a look around. "Damn, I guess you have a fan club, " he remarked as he set his flowers on the table amongst the others. "Well, here's another to add to the collection."

"Thanks," she replied with a half smile. "So, how have you been?"

Eddy chuckled a little. "You're the one laid up in the hospital after fighting a crazy cyborg and you're asking how I'm doing? You're a tough one all right," the Brazilian man paused with a shake of his head. "I'm doing fine, I guess. I just got back from some mission in Egypt."

Nina narrowed her eyes slightly at this. "Egypt? What were you doing there?" she inquired. 'I've been out of commission for a few days and I feel like I've missed so much,' she thought to herself.

Eddy shrugged and folded his arms. "The hell if I know. It's not like Jin tells me anything about what he's planning. I guess I've been subbing for you since you've been on bed rest," he elucidated to the blonde woman. "He just wanted to get a look at this temple, then he left."

She was utterly confused, but once she was discharged she'd be sure to get some answers from him. 'Well, at least he actually made it this time, but I wonder what's going on now? Is he hearing that voice again?' she pondered.

Eddy saw that she was lost in thought at the moment and idly shifted his gaze to the flowers again. He knew that she knew something, but being as secretive as their employer, he knew that she'd never tell him anything. He looked at some of the cards in the flowers with a little smirk. "Seems like the guys in the unit you commanded sent you some of these, but most of them are from Jin," he revealed.

Her eyes moved over to the flowers as well with a little surprise in them. "Jin? He visited?" she asked in confusion.

"He probably had them delivered," he said as he stared at her in a mysterious fashion.

Nina shook her head and little. "What's with that look, Eddy?" she pressed the man with a curious brow raised. Whatever he was thinking, he'd better erase it from his mind completely. She knew this would happen, eventually. It never failed, working under high profile men always came with various speculations and rumors.

Eddy shrugged again. "What? Nothing, I didn't know I had a look," he said defensively as he lifted his wrist and looked at his watch. "I better report back to my base and resume business as usual. Get well soon, Nina," the tall, dark man shot her a thin smile before taking his leave.

She watched him leave and wondered what was going on with him. 'Sorry, Eddy, I wish I could tell you the truth, but I'm sworn to secrecy...even if you knew, would you really believe all of this?' she thought. She sighed to herself as she reached for the small remote and switched on the television to pass the time. She flipped through several channels in boredom. From game shows, talk shows, cooking shows, and soap operas, nothing interested her, but she finally settled on watching the news. The news was always so depressing, but as a realist, she always preferred to hear the cold, hard truth. After watching a few segments about traffic reports, weather, and sports, she almost turned the television off until something caught her interest.

 _'Watch the most exclusive interview of the year with acclaimed journalist Mao Takanori as she speaks to the man behind the monster. Watch as she sits down with the man behind G Corporation and the father of the tyrant behind the Mishima Zaibatsu, Kazuya Mishima.'_

Her eyes widened slightly as she watched images of Kazuya flash across the TV screen. "What fresh hell is this...?" she muttered to herself in disbelief.

 _'Don't miss this groundbreaking interview airing on 50/50 this week.'_

Nina shook her head. Since when did Kazuya seek to insert himself into the limelight? What was he hoping to gain by doing this silly interview? 'I wonder how Jin is going to react to this. He'll definitely be displeased, but then again who knows? I bet that whore is behind this...there's no way Kazuya would do this alone,' she thought as she rubbed her temples in frustration. She leaned back into her bed and rested her head on the pillow as she closed her eyes. Maybe she would call the nurse again to give her something to help her rest. Since she had nothing else to do, she might as well sleep.

* * *

 _"Isn't there anything you can do? I mean, something isn't right with her...I'm worried."_

 _She secretly listened to the woman on the phone. She didn't trust her._

 _"You said give it some time and things would get better, but it's getting worse and I can't help her."_

 _All of her phone calls were to that strange man. She didn't trust him either._

 _"I'm not even sure she's still in there. Nothing is helping. I can't do this anymore..."_

 _After the call ended, a brunette woman emerged from the bed room, wiping the dampness from her eyes._

 _The blonde stood in the kitchen with her back turned to her as she chopped up vegetables at the counter. She ignored the other presence as she chopped away on the cutting board._

 _The brunette rushed to the other woman nervously and frantically. "What are you doing? I told you not to touch the knives anymore! If you want something to eat, I'll cook, okay?" she reasoned._

 _The blonde ignored her and resumed cutting up the vegetables. She didn't remember if she enjoyed cooking or not, but something about holding a knife just felt right._

 _The other woman held out her hand with her brows furrowed in worry. "Give me the knife...it's too dangerous for you to use. Did you take your medicine yet?"_

 _The medicine? She'd like that, wouldn't she? She was always much easier for her to boss around after she took her medicine. "No," she replied dully. The chopping noises became louder._

 _"Hand it over!"_

 _"No."_

 _"Stop cutting before you hurt yourself again!" she cried out angrily as she attempted to reach for her arm to stop her._

 _"No, don't touch me!" the blonde yelled. In a quick flash of anger, she saw red. The red dripped onto the floor, little droplets hit the white tiles and created small, crimson splatters. She stared at them blankly as the shrill cries of the woman filled the air. The red. Something was oddly familiar about looking at it, it just felt right._

* * *

The blonde woman jolted from her slumber with a slight start. She moaned as she slowly brought a pale hand up to her face. Her body felt tired and she felt drowsy. When she asked for a sleeping aid, she didn't think they'd give her such a powerful dose. 'That dream...was that a dream...or a memory? I can never tell the difference anymore.' She cradled her head in her palm to shake away those cryptic images from her mind.

"Bad dream?" a deep voice reverberated in the room.

A small gasp rushed from her lips as her eyes snapped towards her intruder. She was shocked to see him here. "Alexandersson? What are you doing here?" she asked tiredly with narrowed eyes. What time was it? Why was the hospital still allowing visitors? The room was now dimly lit since it was sundown. She had been out for almost the entire day.

The decorated soldier was leaning against a wall with his arms folded across his chest. He was dressed in his elaborate Tekken Force uniform and his face held a certain sternness as he glared in her direction. He took a few steps towards her and said, "It seems your latest work has generated quite the buzz. I guess I came to see if you were in one piece considering the battle you survived."

What a crock of shit! She knew he had an ulterior motive besides dropping by to shoot the breeze. Was he there to take her out when he presumed her to be weak and vulnerable? Even in her state, she could think of at least five ways to swiftly execute him if he tried anything funny. "The boys do talk a lot, don't they? They just gab like old ladies on bingo night when no one's around," she said snarkily. She never had bad blood with the Swedish man, but hearing about how he and a few other soldiers were giving Eddy a hard time and how they all gossiped like little schoolgirls was enough to put him on her shit list.

She was always so short with him. He wondered what he had done to suffer her wrath constantly. "I have no bad intentions...I just have some questions," he stated sincerely. "Things are getting tense with this impending war on the horizon. If there's anyone who can get through to Jin, it's you."

Nina shook her head. It seems like everyone was trying to pick her brain for information these days. She continued to glare at the blond man silently. She was too drowsy to deal with this nonsense. If Prince Valiant wanted to stop the war, then he should go talk to Jin himself. Although she was his bodyguard, that didn't mean she had to constantly be the buffer between him and everyone else. Well, perhaps it did, but she was getting a little annoyed with people assuming that she knew everything he was thinking all the time. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's not as it seems. I'm just a pawn in this, just like you, and I'm just following orders, as should you," she warned with a stone face.

His mouth pulled into a scowl as he clenched his fist in front of him. "If you don't make the effort to stop him innocent people will die," he pled as he approached closer to her bedside. "Will you be able to sleep at night knowing that your indifference caused the deaths of innumerable innocent people?"

Nina smirked at his heartfelt plea. He was so bright eyed and bushy tailed and obviously ignorant about who she was. Jin was dead set on this and he had a good reason behind all of his shrouded plans. There was a method to his madness. "I will sleep well regardless if this war escalates or not," she said coldly as she pierced his blue eyes with hers. "Now, I'm very tired, so please leave me in peace," she requested coolly as she continued to glare at him icily.

Lars shook his head at her cruel words. He wanted her to see things his way and come to her senses, but she was too far under Jin's influence to be reasonable. Perhaps he entrapped her into his madness with promises of power and riches. He took one final look at the blonde assassin before turning away from her and walking towards the door. He paused in his step and said, "If you have no remorse for your actions, then you're a monster, just like him," he finished as he opened the door.

After he left the room, to his surprise, the topic of their conversation leaned against the wall casually with his arms folded across his chest. His face was cold and unreadable as usual, especially since his sharp, dark bangs assisted in concealing his expression. The captain's breath hitched in his throat when the enigmatic young man turned his head to him slowly with a stoic expression. Had he not been the brave fighter that he was, he would most certainly have ice coursing through his veins. His face tightened and he offered the CEO a reluctant salute before he walked down the hall.

Jin entered the hospital room quietly and his eyes immediately fell upon the blonde laying in the bed. Her palm was covering her face and he wondered if her previous visitor had caused her any stress. "How are you feeling?" he asked calmly as he approached her bedside. She lowered her hand and looked up at him with a tired smile. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders loosely and she looked relaxed, and compared to last time he had seen her, she looked to be in much better condition.

Nina wondered how long he had been lurking in the hall and eavesdropping on her conversation. Was he upset about anything he overheard? His facial expression was unreadable, but she had learned to read his emotions through his eyes. He seemed strangely at ease. "I'm fine. What really brings you here this late? Are you here to harass me too?"

He didn't care about Lars' contempt for him, or any one else's for that matter. Their thoughts and opinions were nothing to him. Soon, everything would be in full effect and nothing else would matter. "I came to see if you were all right," he spoke as he observed her. "You won't be discharged until I sign you out." He looked down at her with a smug look.

She took notice of that smug smile on his lips and she nearly rolled her eyes. The doctors and staff kept reminding her of that fact every time she requested to leave. He must've enjoyed having that power over her. "So, what do I have to do in order for you to let me out of here?" she asked in a playfully sultry voice with a smug smile of her own. What kind of game was he playing?

Jin stared into her cerulean eyes for a moment before blinking to break free from their lure. She was a siren, and at times he felt like he would succumb to her if he wasn't cautious. The feel of her lips still lingered on his, even as the days passed. He had to focus. "I'll let you return to headquarters if..." he trailed off as he stared at her intently with his dark eyes.

Nina narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously as he stared at her strangely. Was he attempting to get fresh with her once again? Since when did he become so bold? "If what?" she questioned, urging him to continue.

He looked down at the woman and smirked as she looked at him with her fierce gaze. He was amused, and he always enjoyed seeing her befuddled or flustered. "Well, if you give me three valid reasons not to fire you for your insubordination, then I'll consider it," he proposed.

"You've got to be kidding me?" she said in disbelief. Was he honestly still going to go through with this 'punishment' of his? He was persistent.

He reached into the pocket of his slacks and placed her cell phone on the bed. "You breached your contract by not having your phone on you at all times, you disobeyed my direct orders, and you deceived my secret service," he relayed to her casually. "Now, give me three valid reasons," he demanded. He watched as she averted her eyes from him and folded her arms across her chest like a child being grounded.

Nina pursed her lips at this nonsense. Why wouldn't he just let it go? He was being completely ridiculous. Sometimes she had to remind herself of her paycheck to prevent herself from unleashing all hell on the young man. Normally, she didn't take this kind of crap from anyone, but for some reason she had made several exceptions for Jin. "Maybe next time you should just pay anyone who comes after you a half of million dollars," she ridiculed. Her tone was coated heavily in sarcasm as she chastised him.

Of course, this was the response he initially anticipated. He knew that such an obstinate woman wouldn't be so easily swayed. He shook his head at her response and bored his dark eyes into hers. "Very well then," he said as he turned away from her and began walking away. "I suppose I'll return when you're taking this seriously."

"Wait!" she called out to him as she sat up fully in her bed. She didn't want to play his little game, but she also didn't want to stay there any longer with her morphine dreams and utter restlessness. She nearly exhaled in relief when he stopped and turned around to face her again. "Okay, I'm...sorry," she said apologetically.

That was a start. He knew she'd come around sooner or later. "Go on," he ordered.

She sighed as she closed her eyes to think long and hard about her answer to him. Why must he make this so difficult? "One, you need me for my unique set of skills to assist you in this war; two, I've pledged to help you achieve your goals, and I honestly want to help you and keep you safe until this is over, " she spoke, in a sincere tone this time. "And three, I realized how silly I was to go against your orders, and I'm sorry for betraying your trust."

Jin listened to her words carefully and reflected on them deeply. Truthfully, it would take a lot more than her not following one order for him to fire her, in fact, he knew he couldn't because he needed her more than she actually needed this job. She'd find work with another client in a heartbeat, but he'd have a hell of a hard time finding someone with her elite skills and moral neutrality to carry out his plans. Her services were worth every penny. Somehow, he liked hearing her say those words because he secretly needed the reassurance that she wouldn't leave him if things became too crazy and chaotic. That's why he tried so hard to keep control of himself so that she'd never have to meet that _monster_. That would surely drive her away. He approached her bedside again with a relieved look on his features.

"Good," he simply said before he placed his hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back onto the bed. "Get more rest, and I'll come for you in the morning." She seemed to be in awe of his actions, but he disregarded it as he turned to leave again.

What a strange man. She had met some eccentric people in her lifetime, but Jin was in an unique category of his own. What was that all about? "Jin, wait," she called out to him and watched as he paused before leaving her room. "I never thanked you for the flowers." He stopped for a second and gave her a quick glance. He smiled thinly before leaving the room.

Because of the bad dreams and temperamental visitors, she had completely let the important issues slip from her mind, such as his trip to Egypt, Lars' suspicious behavior, and Kazuya's publicity stunt. Well, she supposed when she resumed her daily routine at the office she'd have a meeting with Jin to discuss all of these things. As her head melted into the pillow, she figured she'd attempt to sleep once again, hopefully without any haunting dreams. She closed her eyes and sighed. 'Anna...I was really a monster to you back then...I definitely wasn't myself.'

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I decided to shorten this chapter since the previous was was long. Chapter 12 coming soon! Thanks for reading! R&R


	12. Comfort and Compliance

Greetings everyone! Here's the latest chapter update! This chapter is a little shorter since a few previous entries were a little long. Thanks so much for reading and for reviewing! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.

* * *

It seemed that failure had become a commonplace thing in their plans nowadays, but you win some, you lose some. There was no doubt that the last plan would've worked, and it was disappointing and surprising that the crazy brute had failed to deliver the desired results. The damned fool probably allowed himself to become too distracted to actually finish the job.

She idly admired her red lacquered nails as she sat in her boss' chair and looked out the window and over the cloudy skies. 'What a gloomy day...ugh, I bet it's going to rain,' she thought with a sigh. Well, at least they had finally completed recording the interview earlier. She, too, had gotten quite a few offers from the media to speak to story hungry journalists about the clash between the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corp, and naturally she accepted. 'It's only a matter of time before the little bastard and his guard bitch attempt to strike back in anger once it airs,' she thought with a mischievous smile. The door to the office opened and she looked up as her employer walked in.

Kazuya casually strode into his office and he barely noticed the brunette sitting at his desk, wearing nothing but a long, red, silk nightgown. Why was she here so early in the morning? It wasn't like her to be on time for anything, but it didn't matter since they didn't have a scheduled meeting anyway. "What are you doing here?" he asked as he approached his desk with his usual frown.

The brunette shook her head with a shrug. "Warming your seat, I suppose," she answered with a small smile as she stood up from his chair and walked towards the large windows and peered out at the gloomy city. "What's on the agenda for today?" she asked plainly, lacking interest in the question or his answer.

Her behavior was odd. However, he had no inclination to ask about her personal problems or thoughts, he had his own troubles to worry about. He had received a report that his son's bodyguard had survived Anna's latest scheme, and knowing her, that's what probably had her feeling down. He seated himself in his chair after she had rightfully moved from it. He looked at her for a moment and smirked. "If you truly want to kill your sister, you should stop being so weak," he claimed cruelly. Anna looked at him in mild surprise as he spoke those words. "Your pathetic emotions keep getting in the way, and my patience is wearing thin with your feeble games with your sibling," he scolded her casually.

Anna remained silent as she folded her arms across her chest and returned her somber eyes to the window. He was right. She had grown so soft lately. Perhaps it was their last truce night that interfered with her usual fervor to exterminate her elder sister. However, by no means did that mean their rivalry was over with, not by a long shot. Perhaps, after the interview aired, Nina would be enraged enough to counter, which would add fuel to the burning fire of their ongoing battles. "Don't worry, I'll deal with her accordingly," she answered with a small smirk.

Kazuya ignored her words. He would believe it when he actually saw better results from her. Besides, with the interview he participated in and the controversy surrounding it, they'd all be sure to have their hands full once his son finally made his move. The boy was unstable and anything could send him over the edge, and he wanted to be the one who sent him flying over. 'I'm tired of waiting, make your next move, Jin, or are you a soft coward as well? It's time for you to come out of hiding,' he thought deviously as he sat at his desk.

The brunette woman saw that her employer's mind was preoccupied and she decided to leave him in peace, plus he didn't seem to be in the brightest mood either judging from his short tempered words. She wanted to be alone as well to clear her head. Her failures, Kazuya's discontent with her, and the imminent rain all had her feeling dull and listless. Once she gathered her thoughts and cleared out the bad ones, she'd bounce back to normal. 'Lucky little Nina, I never understood how you always got the better hand. Always so lucky...I long for the day when your luck runs out, then maybe I can be lucky for once,' she thought bitterly to herself, as she left the office to sulk elsewhere and hoped that she'd be in better spirits soon.

* * *

It only took a couple of days for her to feel like her normal self again. After pampering herself with a deep tissue body massage, a facial, a hair appointment, and a manicure, she felt brand new. Of course, the doctors told her to avoid any strenuous activities to allow her ribs to heal properly, but that didn't mean that she had to be completely bed ridden. However, it seemed it would be no problem for her to avoid her usual rowdy activities since she was immediately placed on probation upon her return to the Mishima Zaibatsu. This was not an optimal situation for her at all. With all of the restrictions placed on her, she began to feel like a dog on a short leash with a strict master always yanking her chain whenever she strayed too far. She had no choice but to obey him until her probation period was over, whenever he decided when that would be. It was his world, and she was just living in it.

She reported to his office as she was summoned, but since she had nothing new to report or question him about this visit seemed pointless. However, she didn't want to disobey him again and suffer his wrath. Once the doors opened, she walked in quietly with her displeasure faintly noticeable on her features. It was still raining, and gloom prevailed not only over the city, but within the office as well. Nina walked straight to the large windows, disregarding the man sitting at the desk, and gazed out at the rain. She enjoyed rainy days, especially if she could stay in and relax while others bustled through the drenched streets.

He peered up at her from his book. She looked nice today; her curve hugging black skirt and royal blue, silk blouse really caught his attention. It was too bad that she was hell bent on ignoring him. Was this what they called the 'silent treatment'? She waltzed in and walked past him as if he weren't even sitting there. He knew that she would be unhappy with the terms of her probation, but it was for her own good. Without it, he feared that she'd do something reckless, and with her past injuries she'd only be hurting herself. Despite her dissatisfaction with everything, he was personally content. It was all for her own good, she'd see that soon enough. "Sit down and drink your tea before it gets cold," he ordered calmly.

Nina sighed and slowly turned towards her employer with her arms folded. She remained silent as she slowly walked over to the front of his desk and took a seat in the large chair. She ignored his eyes as she reached for her cup of tea and blew on it cautiously. He was definitely timing her arrival, the tea was still piping hot. When she finally sipped her tea, she peered over her cup at the man across from her with watchful eyes. She couldn't get a good read on him today. His mood and his expression seemed pretty neutral, but his mannerisms were as smug as ever. From the way he sat completely relaxed in his chair to the way he occasionally glanced at her with that cocky smirk, she could sense that he was taking pleasure in this. 'Is this what he wanted all along? Complete control over me? It'll never be this easy,' she thought as she remained silent.

The assassin's taciturn behavior wouldn't dampen his mood. Besides, at least she followed his orders and came when she was summoned. He would get her talking sooner or later. "How was your massage?" he asked abruptly. When her blue eyes widened a bit, he knew she was going to retort.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. How was he obtaining this information? Did he have people following her? "Who told you this?" she asked as she folded her arms again.

Jin smirked as he finally got her to open her mouth. "It doesn't matter," he answered as he returned his attention to his book. "I was just curious if it improved your condition."

"It did, thanks for asking," she bit out with a blank face.

"Good."

"Jin, why have you called me here? Surely you needed me for something besides forcing me to sit here while you slowly grate my nerves," Nina scoffed.

"To keep an eye on you," he replied curtly.

"I assured you that I wouldn't do anything to go against your orders."

"I know."

"Then why must you do this?"

"Is this so horrible for you that you constantly have to complain?"

"I'm confused, what do you need from me?" she asked as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. She wasn't amused by his games anymore. What was this really about?

The raven haired man lowered his book and looked into her questioning eyes. She was really crabby this afternoon. He was hoping that she would be in a calmer mood, but at least he wasn't getting the silent treatment anymore. In truth, he was feeling a little agitated and ill at ease, and he was hoping that the woman in front of him would help to alleviate his anger. He tried to ignore it at first, but as the news spread about his father doing a public interview to slander him, he became a little apprehensive. Even if he didn't watch it, he knew he'd overhear something that would ignite his anger and risk triggering his anger, and consequently, his demonic half. His so called father was notorious for that.

He sighed and turned his chair towards the window to silently watch the rain droplets slowly cascade down the large window panes of his office.

His behavior was alarming. Something was troubling him, it was the only explanation for all of this. Communication wasn't his forte. With his ineptitude in socializing and her general disinterest in people, it was a miracle that they were able to converse at all. "Jin," her voice was lower and more soothing. "You can tell me what's wrong. I thought you trusted me."

He did. He just didn't know how to word it properly without sounding strange or too forward. He didn't understand his behavior around her anymore. He exhaled and remained silent.

"Jin?" Nina spoke his name impatiently, still awaiting a response from him. Maybe the rain had something to do with his mood shift.

"Will you just sit here with me?" he requested in a hesitant manner. In spite of his efforts, that definitely didn't come out in the way he intended.

The blonde raised a curious brow. He called her here to simply sit? What an odd turn of events. His behavior was hard to decipher, understanding him at times was like solving a Rubik's cube. She didn't know what to do besides comply with his simple request. "I'm here, sitting. What else do you need me to do?" She simply couldn't be mean to him, it would make her feel guilty, which was something she hardly felt.

He turned his chair to face her again as she said this. It surprised him that she was actually being somewhat compliant. He sat his book down on his desk and almost immediately she reached for it and picked it up. He sat quietly as he watched her open it and skim over the chapter he was currently reading. It was then that another potentially dangerous idea popped into his mind.

It had been so long since she last read this book, but she remembered it vividly because it was the one her father enjoyed discussing with her the most. "Hm, so how do you like it so far?" she asked, trying her hand at making small talk.

"His rhetoric is interesting and his argument is persuasive," he told her as he leaned back into his large chair. "However, I would like your input."

Her eyes met with his in mild surprise. "My input? Why? What don't you understand?" she asked, quizzically.

"I wonder if I'll understand it better if you read it aloud to me, and then we can discuss it together," Jin suggested boldly with a straight face.

The blonde looked at him with a blank stare, attempting to ascertain if he were simply jesting. He really must've been bored if he had time to fritter away, but she supposed he better enjoy it while he could. Once the war started, he'd probably long for days like these. Nina let a small sigh escape her lips as she contemplated her answer. He was getting bolder as the days passed, yet this facet of his personality was much more interesting than his usual repellent attitude. "Seriously? Is that what you want? You want me, a trained assassin, to sit here and read to you like a child?" she questioned in disbelief.

She was holding the book, she had an understanding of the book, and she enjoyed the book, so why was his request so unfeasible to her? "Yes. I trust in your knowledge of the material, and I want you to read it to me," Jin reiterated to her clearly.

There was no use in fighting against him, so she conceded and did as she was requested. Despite her uncertainty of his demand, she opened the book and began to read where he left off. Besides, why would she complain? She probably had the highest paying babysitting gig in the world, so she read to him.

Jin focused his attention on her as she began reading. Her voice was clear and surprisingly melodious as she eloquently read through the old philosophy text. As he listened to her voice as she read, he could pick up remnants of her native Irish accent. He didn't think she'd comply, and due to the absurdity of his demand, he wouldn't have forced her, but deep down he was pleased with her obedience. The airy tone of her voice paired with the gentle pitter-patter of the rain outside the window made him feel at ease. Gone for good, or at least temporarily, were the thoughts of his father and the turmoil that swam within the dark recesses of his mind.

His eyes settled upon her lips as he watched them move as she pronounced and enunciated each word clearly. He was slightly mesmerized and once again he had to shake the images of the kiss he stole from her from his mind. Honestly, he barely registered much of what she read, his mind continuously drifted off and he only listened to the sound of her voice and not the actual words she was speaking. Hopefully, she didn't quiz him on the material. He smiled inwardly as he closed his eyes, only letting the sound of her voice and the gentle rain pervade his thoughts.

* * *

Short and simple. The next chapter will be a little longer and will be posted before the weekend is over! R&R!


	13. What a Tangled Web We Weave

Hello again, everyone! Here's chapter 13!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.

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It was inevitable, but much to his strong reservations to avoid it at all costs, he finally caved and decided to watch this asinine interview. He had begun to wonder what his father had to say and why was it so damned important that he had to stage this publicity stunt to get his attention. It had been advertised on all the airwaves, showcased on billboards, and plastered all over the newspapers. He hadn't realized that the business affairs of two rival corporations would garner so much attention from the public. After a day of lazing around with his bodyguard, it was time to focus their attention back on their enemies to see what aces they had up their sleeves. Jin pressed a button underneath his desk and a large panel opened over the fireplace, revealing a large flat screen TV built into the wall. It was almost time.

Nina laid on the couch, relaxing after the nice takeout meal they had from a local sushi restaurant. She had kicked her heels off and curled up to get completely comfortable, especially since her boss hadn't dismissed her presence since she had arrived earlier in the day. A well paid prisoner, that's how she would describe her current situation, at least until her "probation" was over and he lifted the restrictions from her duties. She glanced over to her employer and saw him sitting at his desk with a dark, pensive expression on his face as he watched the television adverts with disinterest. The interview would air soon and she only imagined the whirlwind of emotions spinning within him concerning his father's publicity stunt.

She sighed, "Jin, I'm sure this'll be nothing but Kazuya and G Corp playing the victim to gain sympathy from the public. Don't stress yourself over this," she tried to assure him.

The dark haired man grunted lowly at her words. Despite her reassurance, he knew that she underestimated his father's ability to piss him off as well as his inability to suppress his anger when provoked. So far, he had done a damn good job at controlling his demonic side, and for her sake, he prayed that he could continue to keep the beast within hidden. He remained silent.

The assassin parted her lips to speak again, but the interview was airing. After the show's video montage opening ended, the journalist's face appeared on screen. She was an attractive middle aged woman with perfect hair and perfect makeup. 'This should be interesting,' Nina thought as she focused her attention on the TV.

 _"Thank you for joining us. I'm Mao Takanori, and today I'm sitting with the head of G Corporation, Kazuya Mishima, for an exclusive, raw interview concerning the on going conflict between his company and the Mishima Zaibatsu, which is currently being controlled by his estranged son, Jin Kazama. Welcome, Mr. Mishima, how are you? Thank you for joining us."_

 _"Thank you for having me, and please, you can call me Kazuya," he said with an alluring, confident smile._

 _The woman smiled warmly at him. "Thank you. So, tell us a little more about this tense rivalry with your son's, formerly your father's, empire," she questioned._

 _"Well, initially, I was proud of my son for winning the 5th King of the Iron Fist Tournament, and I applauded his ambitious business endeavors; however, it didn't take long for him to start ruthlessly antagonizing my company and several of my affiliates," Kazuya told her._

 _The woman nodded in interest. "You're saying that your son may have been planning to ruin you all along with his newfound power? Do you know why he would do something like this?"_

 _Kazuya feigned a clueless expression while shaking his head. "I don't know. He was such a good kid, but he slowly became obsessed with power and began undertaking dirty schemes in order to acquire it. I did my best to sway him from his crooked path, but he was too far gone. Now, he's out to ruin everything I've built," he lied fluidly._

Nina rolled her eyes at the steaming pile of bullshit falling from his mouth. Every word he spoke was a bold faced lie, and she was astounded that an experienced journalist was buying into his deception so easily. Her eyes moved over to Jin to observe him. He seemed to be thinking intently as he sat at his desk with one elbow propped onto his desk while he rested his cheek on his fist. Due to the darkness of the office, she could barely register his facial expression, but she hoped that he wasn't allowing Kazuya's words affect him. 'I never knew he would be this tame and cunning, but he was always duplicitous and manipulative. That gaudy suit, however, that's definitely all Anna's doing,' she thought mockingly with a smirk.

 _"All of the business takeovers and the military activity in other countries, what do you think the Mishima Zaibatsu plans to gain from this?" she asked inquisitively._

 _"From the intel I've gathered, I've been told that he's planning some kind of war."_

 _"A war?! With whom?"_

 _"Who knows, but whoever is in the path of his wrath will be destroyed. He was always a stubborn child. I did everything to show him the best way in life, but he refused to listen to me," Kazuya told her, deceptively._

 _Ms. Takanori turned her face towards the screen and reported, "After this short break, we'll learn about the root of this conflict between father and son and how Kazuya and G Corporation plan to stop Jin Kazama's assault on the world."_

Great. At least they were given a short break from Kazuya's evil mug and his vicious lies. Nina stood up from the couch and stretched with a small yawn. She walked over to the bar and poured a glass of scotch.

"Make me one," the young man requested from the desk. He needed something to numb him. He was generally apathetic about the interview thus far, but he knew his father had something else up his sleeve. 'Bastard,' he cursed as he narrowed his eyes in anger. 'It doesn't matter if the public eats up his lies. I'll return things to the way they should be and nothing else will matter.' He was pulled from his thoughts when the svelte blonde leaned over him to place his drink in front of him. He looked over to her and noticed she didn't have a drink. "Where's yours?"

She shook her head as she folded her arms across her chest. "I figured that you'd need it more than me," she admitted. She looked down at him and wondered how he was faring. He didn't appear to be phased, but if she learned anything from being in his presence so far, it was that his mood could shift like the flick of a switch. "Don't let his vile words get to you, don't give him the power to force you to lose control, especially after you've come so far, Jin," she encouraged him in a gentle tone. Inspiring and uplifting others wasn't a skill she naturally possessed, but their time together had somewhat improved her sentimentality.

He picked up the glass of scotch and downed it in one throw. It burned, but it was nothing compared to the flames slowly igniting within him. He wanted to heed her words, but the rage he felt from seeing his despicable father's face paired with his vicious lies only tempted him to release his pinned up anger. 'I'll kill him...before I leave this world, I must,' he thought darkly. A calming hand on his shoulder snapped him from his murderous thoughts.

"Relax and breathe," the blonde instructed soothingly. So far, nothing too horrible was said, and she didn't understand why he let it affect him so much.

Shockingly, he did as he was told and he slowly felt himself receding back from his rage filled thoughts. He didn't know whether it was the alcohol or her comforting hand resting on his shoulder, but something succeeded in checking his anger. The adverts were over and the interview continued. Jin's breath hitched in his throat as he watched the second part of this spectacle.

 _"We're back and ready to conclude our interview with Kazuya Mishima. We last left off on getting the details about the conflict between these corporate giants, now we're going to delve into the history and roots of this family. Tell me, Kazuya, what would Mrs. Mishima say about this situation?" she asked as she leaned in with interest._

 _Kazuya smirked. "Mrs. Mishima is my mother. If you're referring to the mother of my son, I must confess that I do not know much about her," he revealed to her._

 _"Oh? I'm sorry, I didn't know. So, your son is a lovechild?"_

 _He chucked lowly. "Love? No, it was nothing like that. It's...complicated. However, he was extremely close to his mother, a mama's boy you could say. Like the child of a single mother, Jin never received sound discipline being raised by a woman. Her passing caused him to be, I could say, mentally unstable, and that's when his downfall began."_

 _"That's terrible," the interviewer remarked. "So, all this started because of your son's inability to cope with grief properly?"_

 _Kazuya nodded slightly. "I would have been there for him if I was able, but it was unfortunate that I couldn't. Now, he's lashing his anger out at me and he's dragging the entire world into our personal quarrel," he explained, convincingly._

 _"I see. Hopefully with your help, the world will have someone, a champion to cheer for to stop Jin Kazama's warmongering," she smiled at the devilish man. "One last question. If you could say anything to your son, assuming that he's watching, what would it be?"_

 _Kazuya's lips pulled into a tight smirk as he slowly turned towards the camera. His bi-colored gaze seemed to pierce through the screen as if he were one hundred percent sure Jin was the recipient of his dangerous eyes. "I'd tell him to come see me whenever he's ready, but only if he's willing to be who he's truly meant to be," he delivered the mysterious message calmly with his usual evil smirk._

 _The reporter seemed a bit confused about his message, but due to time constraints she couldn't probe him for anymore information. "That's all the time we have, but I would like to thank our guest for being here to answer our questions. Thank you, Kazuya, and good luck with everything," she wished as she stood up and extended her hand to shake his, and he surprisingly stood up and shook it in return with a deceptively kind smile._

No longer being able to handle the ridiculousness of this farce, the blonde reached for the remote and turned the TV off. "Glad that's over," she rolled her eyes and shook her head. That interviewer was dumb as bricks for buying whatever Kazuya was selling, perhaps she was charmed by him or something. She looked down at Jin and noticed that he was in quite a somber, moody disposition. "He knows what he's doing, please don't fall for his tricks."

He was conflicted. He wanted to retaliate against his father for having the audacity to speak about his mother in such a dishonorable manner. He had no right to even mention her considering that he wasn't there for her or him, ever. He wasn't a father, only a man with a child. The anger in him was becoming turbulent, and perhaps the best way to rid himself of this feeling was to pay his father a visit. In fact, it may have been the only way to purge this feeling from him. 'You damn bastard...I hate you...I'm going to kill you...' His thoughts began to fill with darkness, the perfect fuel needed to trigger the demon inside of him.

She could tell that he was seething with fury and she thought it'd be best to leave him to his thoughts, but then again she didn't trust him to be alone in his current state. She had no idea that he'd be so sensitive over the interview, but she knew when the topic of his mother came into play that it would be a sure way to get under his skin. Kazuya knew exactly what he was doing indeed. What could she possibly do to help? Her employer attempted to stand up abruptly with an angry scowl displayed over his features, and instinctively she quickly moved in front of him and grabbed onto his shoulders, using most of her strength to keep the larger man seated. "Where are you going? You're not thinking of doing anything irrational, are you?" she questioned him as she tried to hold him in place.

Why was she getting in his way? This didn't concern her at all. If his father wanted to settle their score, then he would gladly accept his invitation. Drinking and taking deep breaths wouldn't subside his anger, only pummeling his father's face would assuage him. He seized the woman's wrists in his hands knowing full well that he possessed the strength to free himself from her grip, yet he did nothing. She stared at him with that alluring sapphire glare, silently communicating with him to control his temper. The assassin's critical eyes made him feel guilty and foolish for displaying such an unreasonable overreaction to mere words. He wondered how weak he must've looked in her eyes right now. He sighed and leaned his head back onto his chair in defeat. "Forgive me," he muttered lowly, feeling slightly ashamed. "I don't know what got into me. My father..."

"He's an egotistical asshole. You're stronger than this, and I don't want you to lose sight of your goals because of him. We have a mission to complete, remember?" Nina reminded him, hoping to clear his mind from Kazuya's poison.

Their mission? She meant _his_ mission to destroy the world, but she still considered herself a part of his corrupt plans despite everyone around them trying to sway her to abandon him. He hadn't forgotten about Lars' words to her that night in her hospital room. She referred to herself as his pawn, but he never viewed her as such, at least not in the way she thought she was. Then again, perhaps she was his pawn. Who else was he going to unleash his dark thoughts and wavy emotions unto? The fact that he had her there within his grasp proved to him that she was a pawn for his borderline self-indulgent uses. His hands were still clamped onto her wrists as he leered at her through the dim lighting of the office. He pierced his brown eyes into hers, somewhat seductively, as he asked, "Why do you trust me?"

Nina was ensnared in his clutches and by his powerful glare. She attempted to pull away from him casually, but she could feel that he had no intentions of loosening his grip on her wrists anytime soon. That question again. Should she not? She didn't cower from his eyes as they pierced through her. "I'm putting my trust into you until you give me a reason not to," she answered candidly.

"If I gave you any reason to doubt me, what would you do?" he asked curiously.

The assassin smirked. "Hmm, I guess you'd have to deal with me directly. I don't handle deception very well."

Jin smirked in return at her threat. He finally stood up from his chair, still holding onto her wrists. He was surprised that she was actually letting him hold onto her like this without objecting. He wondered about her sometimes. Was she being nice to him because of the salary he was paying her or because she truly cared about him and his plight? Either way, she was here. "Thank you," he said as he looked down at her.

She smiled inwardly at the strange and amusing man. "For what?"

"For...not leaving, despite how insane this all is."

"I just hope everything works out for you, and then you'll finally be able to live a normal life without the burden of your bloodline," she said truthfully. As she spoke these words, she noticed the sadness looming in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

If he didn't tell her the full truth, was it still considered lying? His hands slowly slipped upwards from her wrists and over her hands as he clasped them to his chest. He said nothing as his eyes never left hers.

A rare feeling washed over her, she couldn't accurately pinpoint it. Her heart quickened its pace as she now felt herself growing nervous from his actions. Why was he becoming so damn bold these days? Her breath halted in her throat as he slowly descended down to her face. "Jin, wait-" Her small protest was cut short when his lips smoothed over hers. Her eyes fluttered in shock a few times before she closed them and relaxed a little into the kiss. His kiss was warm and sensual, and the longer it prolonged, the more she gave in.

Jin's lips moved against hers slowly as he relished in the feeling of having her plush lips melding into his once again. He could feel her hands gripping onto his shirt as their lips remained joined. Finally, he parted from her and opened his eyes to gaze at her, they were both breathless. He hadn't anticipated for any of this to happen, but now that it had, what would she do? As the recluse that he was, he never imagined such a scenario occurring between him and another woman, but over time his resolve weakened. He remained silent, fearing that he would say something to ruin the mood.

Nina breathed deeply and slowly as she tried to register what had happened. Her fingertips still curled into the silk fabric of his dark shirt, and beneath her touch she could feel his heart pounding. Everything escalated so quickly that she could hardly generate an appropriate response to the situation.

Their eyes remained locked as they both casually stared at each other in confusion and arousal. The signs were always flashing before her eyes, but she was always in denial that he was capable of such actions or had any interest in performing them. In fact, due to that very reason, she felt more comfortable being herself around him. She had even slipped into some of her tomboyish ways around him because she didn't regard him as a 'regular guy', and her playful flirtation was just a tactic she used to keep herself entertained or to lighten the mood.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment and exhaled. "Wow, that was nice," she whispered in a low sultry tone as she looked up at him with a small smile. "But, it mustn't happen again."

He lowered his eyes from hers and wondered if he had made a mistake by crossing that boundary with her. 'I should've stopped myself...I should've kept my focus,' he thought, regrettably. His attention was captured by her again when he felt the soft palm of her hand caressing against his cheek.

That look made her feel guilty, but the truth still remained that neither of them had time for anything like this. She gently rubbed her thumb over his lips to remove smudges of her lipstick from them. She couldn't deny that it felt pretty nice to be kissed like that, but she often denied herself life's pleasures to remain pragmatic about certain situations. This was a distraction, which was something they couldn't afford in times where they had to be ever vigilant, and continuing down this path of exploration would only lead to more _complications_ between them.

"I'm impressed," she said with a smug smile replacing her softer one.

Jin stared at her in confusion for a moment and asked, "What do you mean?"

She still had her hand pressed against his cheek as she took a step forward, closing the gap between them as her crystal blue eyes cut through his. "I'm impressed that you had the courage to make a move like that, at least while I was fully conscious," she said teasingly as she finally stepped back and turned away from him. The urge to laugh at his dumbfounded face was nearly impossible, but she successfully held it together.

The moment their lips touched, a feeling of deja vu overcame her. That night, she thought it had been a strange, lucid dream, but she found it quite odd that she'd dream of him kissing her in the back of the helicopter unexpectedly. She would have crucified any other man, but for reasons unbeknownst to herself, she had made another exception for him.

His face began to heat up with embarrassment at this revelation. She knew all along, yet she skillfully hid her knowledge of that night from him. He watched her walked away as he was lost in his thoughts. "Wait, Nina," he called out to her as she was headed towards the door. "I'm...I'm sorry."

The blonde woman paused and looked over her shoulder. "What's done is done. Let's just move forward from here, your slate is clean, Kazama," she enticingly stared at him for a moment before finally opening the door. "All in all, I had a pretty interesting night, thanks to you. Goodnight." With that, she finally left.

Her actions and words were always so unpredictable, yet it always kept their interactions interesting and entertaining. Everything was jumbled, his thoughts, his emotions, they were all over the place. If one were to ask him what had possessed him to do such a thing, he still wouldn't be able to conjure up a reasonable answer. He acted on his desires alone.

It was a fun new experience for him, but if he learned anything from his past, it was that his pleasure was always short lived. His beautiful distraction would only temporarily whisk him away from the harsh reality of the world they lived in, the world that he unfortunately had to bring to ruin before the final day of his reckoning. He would have to come out of hiding and face his new reality.

Jin silently sulked in his dim office, coming to terms with the decisions he would have to make in order to advance his plans. 'It's the only way, there's no way around it. I can't keep running away from this. I just...I wish there was another way...so many people will suffer," he thought sullenly as he slowly sank back down into his chair.

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Well now...chapter 14 coming soon! Thanks for reading! R&R!:)


	14. Under Pressure

Good day, all! I hope all is well with everyone! Here's chapter 14! I was going to post more with this chapter, but I didn't want it to exceed over 5000 words. The next chapter will follow soon after. Thanks so much for your reviews and continued interest in this story! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.

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This day wasn't going according to her plans at all. There's nothing worse than waking up and checking the daily news only to find out that she and her affiliates were the trending news story everyone was obsessing over currently. The words themselves were meaningless, but the power they held to persuade and delude is what was truly annoying. She didn't have time to deal with this nonsense, besides, being bothered by this pettiness would only give her moronic sister the satisfaction of getting under her skin. She wasn't so easily swayed by gossip, rumors, and tabloid articles, and she ignored the countless stares from the associates within the company and the whispers accompanied with them. Were they foolish enough to believe that trite, unamusing nonsense?

Her heels clicked rhythmically against the marble tiles as she, reluctantly, found herself en route to her boss' office. She wondered what his response to this would be. Even if he remained unaffected, she wanted to calmly vent to someone who could possibly understand her slight frustration. Surprisingly, she and Jin had not spoken for the last couple of days, however, it was she that somewhat initiated their break.

After that night when things seemed to heat up between them, it was her logical response to put things on ice. She requested a "sick day" and busied herself doing other things, such as some light training, target practice, and web surfing to pass the time. It wasn't that she felt nervous about the situation, she just wanted to wait until the tension dissipated so that they could resume their normal routine. Her nights became sleepless, filled with restless dreams of warm lips and confusing emotions. The cherry on top of everything, of course, was that lying bitch sister of hers running her mouth to the media.

The sound of footsteps belonging to someone other than herself caught her attention. She looked up and saw Eddy walking down the hall, returning from their employer's office. She stopped in her tracks as he approached her with a confused expression on his face.

"Hey, I've been looking for you," he said as he approached her. "What the hell is going on? I've been trying to find Jin all day. Any ideas about where he is?" he asked heatedly.

Jin wasn't in his office? That was a first, but it was nothing to panic over. Perhaps he was in the dojo, in his quarters, or somewhere else on the grounds. "I'm sure he'll turn up," she shrugged dismissively. "Why are you so worked up? Is there something wrong?"

"Besides sleazy reporters on the outskirts of headquarters trying to get a scoop and the activity of those pesky protesters picking up, nothing too major," Eddy relayed sarcastically. "Jin told the bases in Moscow, Madrid, and Munich to await his orders a few days ago, but then they heard nothing from him since."

This was all new to her. She had no idea that he had given these orders. Was he advancing his plans, finally? Why? She was completely out of the loop, and she wondered if he was motivated by his father's words after all. 'Jin...I hope he isn't doing this prematurely out of anger,' she thought, completely oblivious about his true intentions. Why didn't he tell her anything? Was he upset about the other night?

The perplexed look on her face revealed to him that she didn't know anything as well. Now what? "So, what are your orders? What should I tell them?" he asked.

Because of Jin's absence, was he expecting her to make the call? She was a bodyguard and a covert operative, so she had no desire to handle his affairs concerning this war. He led, and she followed. She shook her head at his expectation. "It's not within my jurisdiction to give commands to them concerning this matter." She copped out of that responsibility swiftly.

Eddy let out a long, heavy sigh and shook his head. "I've been calling him and asking around about his whereabouts, but no one seems to know anything about his disappearance," he exasperated as he looked to her for answers. He was definitely surprised that he hadn't told Nina anything. Did something happen to him? "I'm going to check into it further just in case something happened. I'll let you know if I find anything," he said as he gave her a quick nod before continuing his trek down the long corridor.

The blonde sighed, annoyed that she had more added stress to contend with. She'd figure that she'd go to his office anyway to figure out how she could crack this mystery. She continued on to the large double doors and gained entry into his office. As she glanced around and saw no one, it reminded of the day of their first meeting. Only a couple of months had passed since then, but it seemed so long ago. Where the heck could he be? Hopefully, he wasn't reckless enough to place himself in danger, but leaving without alerting her was alarming, and it was most certainly stupid. She pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed his number. It went straight to voice mail. She wasn't one to leave an angry voice mail, but she did opt for sending him a text.

She strode towards his desk and took a seat in his large leather chair. The same books cluttered his desktop, and the room hadn't changed much since the night they'd watched the interview. Perhaps he did run off and do something irrational. Did he try to pursue Kazuya and get himself captured in the process? The thought made her feel anxious. If that was the case, then she felt like she had failed at her job, the only one she actually had to do which was to keep him safe. Nina leaned forward and pressed a button on his intercom. "Hey, did Jin have anything on his itinerary for the day?" she inquired to his secretary.

"M-miss Williams, ma'am, I don't have any updates regarding Mr. Kazama's schedule, um well he did have one meeting," she answered nervously. "I thought he provided you with that information firsthand."

"Tch, well if I had it I wouldn't be asking you. Clear his schedule...he's indisposed at the moment," she replied hotly. She sighed and rubbed her temples. "Look, if you see or hear anything from him, let me know."

"Yes, ma'am! Should I bring you any refreshments?" she asked.

"No, I'm fine," Nina replied before letting go of the button. She leaned back into his chair and turned towards the large windows. The serene view over the city in the late afternoon was very misleading, for chaos and uproar reigned over the streets. Due to a few factual leaks and several fabricated lies, the sheep of the city were now rattled up after they completely fell for G Corp's tricks.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she quickly reached for it, hoping that it was Jin finally responding to her. She looked at her phone and bit her bottom lip slightly in frustration. Her once trusty news app had betrayed her and alerted her with another "breaking news story" concerning libelous rumors about her and the Mishima Zaibatsu. Great, yet another article referring to her as a professional "escort" hired by Jin. The only bright side was that they never used her name or had a clear shot of her face, she was always referred to by her race or hair color.

'Anna, you little cow, you think this is real funny, don't you? This is far from over,' she thought with a scowl. A more pressing matter had to be addressed, so dealing with her sister would have to wait. She would look for more leads about his whereabouts, and hopefully they'd lead her somewhere. 'I hope he isn't in any danger. Hmph, who's the reckless one now?' she thought bitterly as she sat quietly and looked out of the window.

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Things were finally turning around in their favor. The power of the media was stronger than they had originally anticipated it to be. It was a circus and they not only had a front row seat, they were the ring leaders. It wasn't their normal tactic, but once again, it was surprisingly effective. The public eye was always something he tried to avoid, but they embraced him, and admittedly, the attention did wonders for his already big ego. He wondered if his spineless son was enjoying this as much as he was. The people rallied and protested, calling for the tyrant, Jin Kazama, to be brought to justice and for the company to be shut down. The public labeled him as a heartless coward, the scrooge of the business world, a demon in disguise, and a destroyer of the world. It was only a matter of time before the whelp came knocking down his door to vent out his frustrations.

'I know you can sense it too...echoing in that little mind of yours. Awaken it, and I will destroy it and absorb its power and take back what's mine from you,' he plotted insidiously in his thoughts. Was that what Jin was after as well? Becoming stronger was the only way for that pathetic boy to defeat him. He was tired of waiting.

Kazuya downed the rest of his cocktail and continued clicking through the top articles covering his interview. The public puppets amused him at how easily swayed they could be, it was pitiful actually, but due to their naivety good things were on the way for G Corp. The door to his office opened and in stepped his associate, dressed lavishly in a short gold dress with a black fur coat draped over her shoulders. It seemed she had found a way to selfishly reap benefits from this as well. He smirked before returning his attention to the monitors before him.

Aiding Kazuya successfully was one benefit, defaming her sister was another, but the greatest benefit of all was all of the attention she received. Talking to one publicist gained the attention of others until she was the most sought out woman for interviews. She had even scored a spread in a magazine. She was on a high right now. Anna floated into the room elatedly with a grin. "I'm back! Did I miss anything?" She sat down on the edge of his desk and crossed her legs, exposing her smooth legs to him.

He temporarily tore his attention away from the screen to run his eyes over her. Her little outfits were always eye-catching, even though they were definitely inappropriate for the setting. He wondered what other mischief she had brewing up in her head. "What can we anticipate next?" he asked.

Anna turned to him and shrugged with a small smile. "It's depends. It's a crap shoot, really," she surmised. "Maybe the boy will respond by doing something irrational, or maybe he'll continue hiding away with my dear sister. Either way, whatever move he makes will severely damage the Mishima Zaibatsu's reputation in this little pre-war of ours."

"If he starts this war, we have to continue to be allies to the public while working in secrecy to achieve our own goals," he explained.

Now that she thought about it, she truly didn't know what his goals were. Wasn't this all for his seizure of the Mishima Zaibatsu? However, she had heard reports of him positioning units in the middle east for some strange reason. What was that about? Also, if he truly wanted Jin dead, he could easily have him killed, but it seemed like he was more interested in monitoring his moves. She had thrown herself in the midst of their conflict without truly knowing any of their true intentions. Did Nina know anything, or was she going along with this and playing things by ear just as she was? "So tell me , Kazuya, is power all you want out of this, or is there something more you desire?" she asked smoothly with a smirk.

Kazuya's usual devious smirk returned to his face. "Why does this interest you all of the sudden?" They had their own goals and reasons for teaming up. He didn't care what she gained from it as long as she proved herself to be competent and beneficial to his team.

"I just thought it'd be interesting to know...it seems I never know what you're thinking at times," the brunette responded. He was ever so secretive, and she respected his privacy, but she was simply curious about his motives and her true role in his game.

"You needn't concern yourself with my personal stakes in this, Anna. Just do as you're told and you'll reap the many benefits of being on my good side," Kazuya reminded her. He saw absolutely no purpose in revealing more than he wanted to the woman before him. This was a temporary situation after all.

What a stubborn man, but he was right. She was only curious, but in the end she didn't care what his ultimate goal was. She would just enjoy the ride along as they wreaked havoc on their enemies together. "Mmm, your good side is the only side I want to see, Kazuya," she said flirtatiously. She stood up from his desk and smoothed out her dress. She reached into the pocket of her fur coat and procured a rolled up magazine before tossing it onto his desk. Anna flashed him a sexy smile before saying, "Page fifty five, just a little treat before the main course later." She left his office. She'd find out what she was looking for sooner or later.

Kazuya picked up the magazine once she left and only turned to the instructed page out of sheer curiosity. His brow raised in mild amusement as he lifted the magazine up, turning it sideways to let the page unfurl to get a full view. "Hmph," he simply remarked as he gazed at the risqué photo of the brunette vixen. It was nothing he hadn't seen before, but it was a rather enticing photo. He wondered how this would aid her in their plans but paid it no heed. They had wildly different goals in this, after all.

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I like how Anna is silently sabotaging her enemies without chipping a nail, she's a sly one lol.


	15. A Game of Risk

Greetings everyone! I'm back with another chapter! I'm sure everyone's busy playing Tekken 7, but I had to remind myself to update lol. So...here's chapter 15!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.

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 _The two other occupants in the room discussed their plans for her as if she weren't there. It didn't matter, she had trouble focusing as of late anyway, so their words fell upon deaf ears. The migraines she suffered from were unbearable, but she was sure that the old fool would prescribe yet another pill for her to take. She couldn't keep count of how many she swallowed daily. Her name was being called, but the voices sounded so muffled in her head._

 _"Hey, were you even listening? What's wrong with you?" the brunette asked the woman in a peevish tone. She turned to the old man dressed in a white lab coat and said, "Do you see what I mean? It's like talking to a statue at times!"_

 _The old coot observed her silently with a nod of his head. "I see," he uttered as he approached the blonde carefully and noted how she drew her legs up onto the couch and buried her face into her arms as she folded them across her knees. "It seems the subject is still suffering from some form of PTSD from cryosleep. It's a common side effect, but the medicine should help keep her stable," the scientist reported casually in his thick Russian accent._

 _The brunette became upset with his diagnosis. "That's it? What about everything else I told you? The sleepwalking, the vacant stares, her violent outbursts, and her...well...when she tried to-"_

 _"I understand your concerns," he interrupted. "But I can't give you an accurate diagnosis, however, if you want to admit her back to the research facility for observation, I can take her off of your hands."_

 _The younger woman thought for a moment. It was probably for the best, she was becoming a danger to her and to herself lately. She flexed her hand at the thought, she could still feel a slight sting from the old wound. She looked over to the blonde on the couch, she seemed so small and fragile. "It's for the best. You can finally get the help you need, then maybe you can come back when you're better," the brunette told her._

 _That cold, metal slab, the incessant beeping noises of machines filling her ears, the harsh florescent lighting, the poking, probing, and pricking, it was nightmarish. "No," she grumbled lowly._

 _The woman sighed heavily. "It's only temporary, and maybe they'll finally help you remember everything," she promised._

 _The blonde finally looked up with sorrowful, glassy eyes. "You're abandoning me...you promised you'd help me," she choked out in sobs._

 _The brunette and the old doctor exchanged glances before looking at the distraught woman before them. "It's clear that you two need more time to think about this. Don't hesitate to call me if you reach your final decision. Take care...both of you," he said as he looked over to the blonde woman again, sympathetically. What a strange case. He left, for there was nothing more he could do for them._

 _"You should've went with him! You're crazy you know! I can't deal with this anymore!" the woman yelled at her with distress rising in her voice._

 _"You promised...I don't want to live like this...I can't-"_

 _"Fine! Just don't talk like that...you're scaring me," she sighed in defeat. "I can only help you if you let me, but if you keep on this way I'll have no choice but to send you back," the woman warned as she joined the woman on the couch, cautiously._

 _The blonde remained silent as her supposed sibling placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to tense up. Perhaps no one could help her, maybe she should just end it all, but the voice in her head wouldn't let her, not until she beckoned its call._

* * *

A piercing, ringing noise pulled her from her slumber and away from her dream, or was it another memory? Whatever they were, she welcomed the bell that rouse her from her chilling dream. The noise stopped. She snuggled her face into her pillow as she attempted to fall back asleep. The ringing resumed again. She sighed in annoyance and kept her face buried into the pillow. By the third ring, she finally reached towards her nightstand, allowing her hand to fumble for the noisy device before she finally grabbed it to answer it. "Hello, what is it?" she answered crabbily.

"Remind me again why I shouldn't fire you," a man's deep voice came through the receiver.

It took her a moment to register whom she was speaking with before she could reply. She yawned softly and rubbed her fingers through her tousled blonde locks. "Fire me? Who'll put up with you if I leave?" she responded through her drowsiness. "Where the hell are you, Jin?" He had some nerve calling her out of the blue without giving her an explanation for his disappearance.

"Hmph, I wonder," he started. "Did you ever assume that I was missing because I was dead? I could have easily been killed due to your negligence."

"And yet here you are, alive and well, disturbing my sleep at..."she paused to glance at her clock. "...well past midnight. You better explain yourself, Kazama," she urged him, seriously.

"Come find me," he ordered.

"What? I don't have time for your-"

"You have an hour...or I'll severely cut your pay," he threatened.

"This is some sick joke, right?" she questioned in disbelief, exasperated by his absurd demand.

"In my office, in my desk drawer, you'll find keys to my private garage...take what you like," he instructed.

Nina finally sat up. Sure she was still tired, but it seemed like she would have to be an unwilling participant in her employer's latest game. She sighed heavily before saying, "Fine, but when I get there, wherever you are, you better be ready to talk."

"Don't keep me waiting," he warned before ending the call.

The sleepy assassin cradled her face in her palm for a moment, contemplating if she really needed this job once again. Jin had been the cause of her many restless nights lately, it was like psychological torture. She wasn't one for games like this. Why didn't he just return to headquarters instead of forcing her to get out of bed this late to meet him at his location? Now that he put his phone back online she could easily track him, but he was wasting her time and disturbing her sleep with this nonsense. "Fucking hell..." she muttered to herself before reluctantly getting out of bed to get ready for her quest to find Jin.

* * *

The scenery before him did wonders to keep his thoughts centered and at ease. A peaceful forest preserve park filled with the natural cacophony of wildlife offered him the solitude he needed. He had to retreat somewhere that reminded him of simpler times in his life, before his mother had left him, before the Devil Gene consumed him. Now, he could barely bring himself to face the day, and every morning he woke up, he could only think about how much easier it'd be if he didn't at all. He already hated himself for the pain he had caused others through maneuvering and greedily navigating through the business world, but the worst was yet to come. It was that decision alone which crippled his thoughts, causing him to question his own resolve. It was a burden too grand to bear, but someone had to step up to the plate.

The dark haired man leaned against the railing as his eyes scanned over the park, the swaying of the treetops in the cool breeze was almost hypnotic. It was a shame that he'd have to return to the Zaibatsu and resume his role as the warmongering megalomaniac the world perceived him to be. He had seen some of the tabloids, but he avoided them, they were pitiful attempts at credible journalism, and he despised gossip.

As a young boy growing up in Yakushima, he had seen the harmful effects crude words had on others, and he realized that some of the nicest people on the surface hid behind smiling masks to hide the ugliness within them. He had overheard countless rumors and speculations about his mother's _situation_ being swirled around the village. The woman who smiled at him daily and picked fresh apples from her tree for him to give to his mother had secretly called him a "rape child". The quiet farmer down the road let alcohol loosen his lips at night and frequently referred to his mother as a poor harlot who had ruined her life by bearing a child out of wedlock. The little girl down the lane that he played with occasionally always badgered him with prying questions, wondering if it was true that his father was a Yakuza boss who was looking to kill him and his mother.

The heartless whispers grew louder and circled around town, and most of those serpent-tongued villagers didn't have the decency to be discreet even as he walked by while pretending to be blissfully ignorant to their harsh words. If he heard them, then his mother had as well, but she never let him see her upset as she continued to smile for him. He closed his eyes and tried to prevent memories of his mother from overcoming his emotions. That was so long ago, he had to stop dwelling on the past, for his new reality was before him.

In the distance, he could hear the roar of a motorcycle approaching and quickly closing in on his location. So much for the silence he basked in, his visitor was sure to shake things up. He wondered what kind of mood she'd be in considering that the last time they spoke face to face ended in an awkward situation for the both of them. Hopefully, she had forgiven him as she said she would so that his "indiscretion" wouldn't tarnish their working relationship.

Once the motor vehicle neared closer, the beaming bright headlights bathed over him until the engine was killed. There she was, clad in a sleek, black, curve hugging catsuit with a helmet covering her head. Once she disembarked from the bike, she removed her helmet and slowly strode towards him with a blank stare. He stared at her for a moment to study her body language and facial features to ascertain her current mood. As usual, she was unreadable through her stoic expression. His eyes wandered over to the bike she arrived on and a smirk began forming on his lips. She knew her bikes, she had chosen a new high end model with optimal speed to make it there just in time.

"Congratulations, you made it...and with a few minutes to spare," he casually informed her. He then returned his gaze to the undulating trees of the forest. He could hear her quietly joining him to partake in the view.

Admittedly, her anger had dissipated when she had lain eyes on the many high tech, expensive vehicles in his garage, and once she mounted herself on a pricy vehicle to see what it was capable of, she rather enjoyed the night ride; it was a smooth, relaxing experience. She joined her employer by the railing and silently observed the calming scene. She wanted to berate him for his irresponsibility and reckless behavior, but she had lost the fire in her to argue once she arrived. Knowing him, he'd explain everything to her once he found the right words.

Jin was secretly relieved that she wasn't too upset, it seemed that they would be able to enjoy the solitude of the area together after all. He didn't want to talk about the many things he fled from once he left the front gates of the Central Tower, not just yet. "I take it that you enjoyed riding the newest addition to my collection," he remarked with a thin smile.

Nina gripped onto the railing with her gloved hands and peered at him through the corners of her eyes. "Indeed, you're lucky that I did or else we'd be having ourselves a not so friendly spar right about now," she jested lightly.

He nearly let out a low chuckle at her words. He was lucky indeed, he didn't want his sworn protector to turn on him over a simple miscommunication. "Good, it's yours," he stated, never taking his eyes away from the serene scenery.

The blonde woman turned towards him, slightly taken aback by his words. For a moment she was at a lost for words, it was a nice sentiment that gave her a strange warming sensation throughout her body. She stared at him quietly for a while to get a good reading on him to understand his motives. "Seriously? This isn't a bribe or anything to butter me up, is it?" she asked, having some suspicions about his intentions.

He had no idea why she was so distrustful of him, but judging from some of the things he learned from her past, he understood her inability to trust others, in fact, he could relate. "It's a gift, that's all. Do you not want it?" he asked, turning to meet her gaze. Her expression softened and she seemed to be more accepting of his kind gesture once he spoke those words to her. Shockingly, her blue eyes even held a little spark of excitement in them.

"Well, if that's so, then I should thank you," she spoke stiffly before relaxing her tone. "Thank you, Jin, I really do like it," she said, feeling warmed by his kindness. She had completely let go of her anger now, and almost dismissed the many questions she had for him.

Jin offered her a smile before shifting his gaze upwards to the sky. It was a cloudy night, which perfectly mirrored his thoughts. Unfortunately, it was time to skip the pleasantries and discuss their grim business. He sighed in frustration. "I know you're wondering why I left without giving anyone any notice. The truth is...I cracked under the pressure, and I needed to get away to clear my head," he confessed solemnly.

Nina said nothing as she gave him her undivided attention. She had found lately that he would most likely give her straight, clear answers to her questions if she didn't badger him about it.

He continued, "I told the units stationed overseas to prepare for the random air strikes, but I second guessed myself and everything I'm doing. I thought, "what if". What if this isn't the way, what if I'm just giving this "rectifier" what it wants by causing worldwide destruction, and when it awakens, what if I'm not strong enough to defeat it? A lot of people will suffer and die by my actions and I'm not even capable of determining if this is the right way."

The Irish assassin let his words linger within her before attempting to offer him her input. She had no idea that he held this many doubts about his actions, and honestly, his doubts made her doubt her role in this. If he wasn't completely certain about this, then she didn't want him to take a plunge into a point of no return. What would be the point of freeing himself from his curse if he was only going to be a pariah for the rest of his life? She didn't want that for him. "Jin...I don't have the answers, I don't know what else would help you. I just want you to be sure that this is what must be done before you do anything you'll regret for the rest of your life," she expressed sympathetically. She never imagined that she'd feel the weight of his problems pressing against her chest.

The raven haired man cast his eyes downward and stared at his hands as they gripped onto the wooden railing tightly. He was wrought with grief over this. Despite the hatred deep within him, he still wondered if he was still that simple, innocent country boy who clung onto the virtue and morality his mother instilled in him. What would his mother think of him if she saw him now? She'd be disgusted. He remained silent as his thoughts shifted to the only person who'd ever truly loved him.

His silence only meant that he had retreated into his thoughts instead of telling her what was on his mind. She wasn't up this late and in the middle of the forest preserve just to watch him vacantly stare off into the distance. "What are you thinking about?" Nina asked.

"My mother..." he answered, surprisingly to both her and himself.

She didn't want to take him down that emotional road, but sometimes talking about the pain from your past with a trusted source was therapeutic. Sadly, she was never able to do that with anyone, certainly not Anna. Jun Kazama, that woman certainly left an impression on whomever she crossed. Shockingly, even after her memories bit the dust, she could still recall a peculiar encounter with the mysterious Japanese woman during the second tournament. Nina folded her arms on the railing as she attempted to piece together a missing link from her past. "Jun Kazama...she warned me to stay away from Kazuya, but I was too arrogant to listen," the blonde recalled as she gazed up at the night sky.

Jin's interest was instantly captured upon hearing her speak of his mother. It sometimes slipped his mind that her she had almost lived two separate lives due to being in cold sleep. He remained silent as he fixated his gaze on the woman next to him as she spoke.

She continued, "We shared a common goal back then, stopping Kazuya Mishima at all costs. Of course she only wanted to bring him in for questioning while I wanted to put a bullet through his brain. I remember, I had him lined up in my sights as he had just beaten yet another opponent in the tournament. I figured it was the only time he let his guard down and wasn't surrounded by his dimwitted bodyguards, so I decided to kill him then and there, but she appeared behind me, completely distracting me from dispatching my target. I nearly lost my temper until she gave me this creepy warning. She said something about a strange aura surrounding him and that if I got too close to him, he'd kill me. She claimed that she was the only one who could bring him to justice and that killing him wouldn't work, plus she believed his soul was still salvageable. I thought she was strange and that her words were nonsense, so I didn't listen. Now, look at me. Next to my father's death, I consider my encounter with your father as one of the worst experiences in my life." Had she listened and abandoned her mission, how different would her life had been?

Jin was intrigued by her story, and hearing something new about his mother and his bodyguard always peaked his interest. However, learning that once again his father had ruined the lives of any person he came into contact with had upset him. His mother got close to a terrible man and nothing good came from it, not even his birth, and now, this curse he bore was a constant reminder of everything he hated about his father and his bloodline. He unconsciously placed his hand over his dark coat, touching the area where the mark of the devil was etched into his skin. It was worth a shot, but sadly, sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. 'My mother never wanted me to suffer, and because of this curse, I've done nothing but suffer. By all means necessary, I'll rid myself from this pain,' he thought resolutely. "Tomorrow...I'll confirm the orders," he revealed in a grave tone. "Despite my reservations, I can't turn back now."

Nina sighed softly and turned her head to look at him again. "If you go through with this, it'll change everything, but as we agreed, I'll stand by your side through this ordeal...until the end," she reassured. It wasn't going to be easy to cope with, but she wouldn't abandon him in his time of need.

His brown eyes fixated on hers upon hearing her vow of loyalty once again. He admired the fact that once she committed to something, she would stop by no means to complete her goals. He greatly appreciated her tenacity to help him carry out his plans, no matter how destructive they were. He studied her face, admiring her features, and he felt himself slipping into the danger zone again. He bravely reached out a hand to place on her shoulder and stared into her eyes amusingly before saying, "It's always good to hear that from you. Thank you."

"Well, I always aim to please," the blonde replied with a smirk. She was very well aware of his hand on her shoulder, but she decided not to pay it any mind, that is, until his hand slowly moved upwards from her shoulder until it was lightly caressing her cheek. "Easy now, Casanova, we wouldn't want a repeat of the other night, would we?" she warned calmly. Her words were slightly betraying to her true thoughts because she once again felt slightly receptive to his advances.

"Why wouldn't we?" he asked in a low voice, challenging her reasoning. He had recently come to terms with exploring his curiosity with the blonde assassin, but it was a daunting task indeed. In his limited time, he wanted to stop holding back.

Again, he triggered an unwanted feeling of embarrassment with a small dose of nervousness within her. She didn't like feeling...vulnerable, and lately, he had succeeded in making her feel just that. She unwillingly found herself captured by the tranquil gaze of his almond colored eyes as they wordlessly stared at each other. She then wondered, did he plan this all along? "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm getting the feeling that you're trying to seduce me," Nina said with a straight face.

"And if I am?" he challenged again, this time with a more serious face. It was no secret to himself now that he took pleasure in amusing himself with his bodyguard, and somehow it was a great remedy for his stress or boredom. His interest in her roused almost every time he had seen her, he was undoubtedly becoming enamored with her, but he still attempted to keep his distance for both their sakes. However, he sometimes failed to prevent himself from succumbing to his desires.

She had been flirted with by the best of the best and the worst of the worst, but none of them ever held her interest, until now. She found him to be...confusingly charming. "Jin Kazama..." she let his name roll from her lips slowly and clearly. "You think you can get anything you want with that handsome face of yours, don't you?" She took a step forward and completely closed the gap between them.

"Hmph, if only..." he said as continued to leer at her with his hand still pressed against her cheek. Their close proximity stirred more desires within him that he had repressed for years, the feel of her body gently pressing against his only taunted his once strong willpower.

A half smile appeared on her lips as she placed her gloved hand on the side of his face and pulled him down to her own. She was tempted, but she decided to use the better half of her judgment. Her lips missed his by mere centimeters and softly grazed his cheek until she reached his ear. "You have my interest now, and one day I'll give you the perfect window of opportunity to make your best move," she whispered into his ear seductively. "Don't disappoint me." She pulled away from him. She paused for a moment to look into his eyes, taking note of the lascivious gleam within them. She remained silent as she smiled smugly before finally turning away from him and walking towards her bike.

He was completely frozen. The only thing he could feel was the pulse pounding sound of his heart going wild with excitement. He exhaled finally, not even realizing that he hadn't been breathing properly for a while. He watched silently as the blonde beauty mounted the motorcycle and slipped her helmet back on. His head was fuzzy at the moment and he couldn't gather his thoughts properly to move on to the next point.

Nina looked over her shoulder at him and shook her head slowly. "Stand there all night if you'd like, but I'm leaving," she said as she started up her motorcycle and revved up the engine. She knew no good would come of this, it was evident all over his face. It looked as if the blood drained from his head and pooled elsewhere, causing a delayed reaction in him. Hopefully, he would be okay for the ride back to headquarters.

Jin snapped out of his stupor upon hearing the start up of the engine and shook his head before walking towards and mounting his own bike to prepare for the ride back home. 'Perfect window of opportunity...what does she mean?' he pondered as he cast one more glance at her before they both zoomed off through the forest.

* * *

End of chapter 15!

Just in case anyone is confused about Nina's dreams, they take place a bit before Tekken 3 shortly after they both awaken from cryosleep. I always found that time with the Williams sisters interesting since they were shown getting along during her amnesia period, so I wanted to explore that more. Next chapter coming soon! R&R!


	16. Personal Vendettas

Hello again, everyone! I'm back again with another update! I hope everyone is having a great summer so far, and as always, I'm very appreciative of your reviews and interest in this little story!:)

Here's chapter 16... enjoy!

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.**

* * *

It was a long, grueling, silent ride back to their base. The sooner they returned, the better. Everyone probably desperately longed for their much needed time alone for quiet self reflection, contemplation, and self loathing to cope with the horrific ordeals they had witnessed. The lot of the soldiers occupying the vehicle were in several varying moods ranging from total apathy to complete devastation. For some, it would only take mere hours to shake off the distress, for others it would take days, if not longer to overcome their grief. For one who very frequently had experiences with such gut wrenching situations, it would only take but a brief moment to reset their minds back to its normal functioning state.

Nina sat quietly, staring at the assault rifle clenched between her thighs during the shaky ride back to their camp. The armored military truck could take on any terrain, but its capabilities were questionable while travelling through deep snow. She would have opted for overseeing the operations in Madrid instead, but the boss felt her presence was much needed in Moscow instead. He felt that the many units stationed there lacked _proper_ leadership. She had done her part, and as she figured, the soldiers put on a perfect show like wind up toys to thoroughly follow their orders in her presence. They all appeared so perfect, like well tuned machines when she walked past, but in her absence they were nothing more than little gossip mongers.

'Despite the results, the mission was a complete success...this is what he wanted, and overall, it's all for the greater good…the salvation of mankind,' she reflected. This had become her mantra lately, a reminder to not question her actions and to only focus on the one true goal. She was pulled from her thoughts when the vehicle came to a halt. The doors opened and the soldiers silently disembarked, including herself.

Upon jumping down from the vehicle, she cursed to herself as she landed in a foot of fresh snow. She was definitely under dressed, wearing only a short white parka over her bodysuit, but at least it was over and soon she'd be able to catch a comfortable flight to return to HQ. 'Damn this place, damn this weather! He should've sent me to Madrid instead of Eddy,' she thought in annoyance.

She trudged through the snow and squinted through the snowstorm until she reached the large military hangar. It was still chilly inside, but at least it was better than being outside. She ignored the stares of the soldiers inside and brushed off their stiff salutes as she walked past a few of them. She paid no heed to whatever they thought her position was in the organization. Whether they feared her, respected her, or loathed her, it didn't matter in her eyes as long as they obeyed their orders. Her phone rang in her pocket and she pressed a button on her earpiece to answer the call.

"Yes?" she answered.

"Is it done?"

"Yes, just as you ordered."

"Good. Return to headquarters immediately."

The call ended quickly. Now that it was done, it was the prelude to pandemonium that was going to ensue once the world reacted. Jin was going to need her protection now more than ever. The calm days were officially over, her job was going to become quite difficult from this point forward. 'I wonder how many people will come for him now...I'm pretty sure the price on his head will be soaring once this mess gets underway,' she thought bitterly.

She walked into the small armory room to return any equipment she wouldn't need. Honestly, as just the overseer, her sole purpose for carrying a rifle was to ensure the soldiers had enough _motivation_ to carry out the mission. Any deserters would have to deal with her, but luckily she had no such issues with any disobedience. She sighed as she mounted the assault rifle onto the rack with the others. She wanted to leave as soon as possible, being there too long only made her mind wander onto disturbing, unpleasant things, she didn't want those thoughts plaguing her. She shut her eyes for a moment to think of something, anything to keep her mind on track.

"I didn't think he'd send you of all people to spy on us," a man's voice interrupted the silence. "Did you report to him and tell him that you saw to it that he got the destruction he desired?"

She didn't even have to turn to face the owner of the voice, she knew exactly who would have the gall to pester her at a moment like this. 'This guy again...every time he opens his mouth I want to rip his tongue from his head,' she thought maliciously. She turned to face him with her usual cold, steely eyes only to find that his glare mirrored her own. She smirked to herself. 'Prince Valiant looks pissed...having his unit lead that air strike must've triggered him.'

The blond captain took a few brave steps towards her, never freeing her from his contemptuous eyes. "My words...they meant absolutely nothing to you," he stated furiously. "Are you proud about what you've done!?"

"I don't follow my orders to tickle my pride, Captain Alexandersson," Nina informed in a cold, monotonous tone. "I do so because I know my place. So no, I'm not proud."

"You could have stopped him!" Lars argued. "You allowed him to-"

"Do you know why he chose to give this mission to your unit?" she interrupted as she crossed her arms and took a few steps towards the enraged man. "It's because he was testing your loyalty. You proved to him that you're not a coward, a traitor." She informed Jin of his suspicious behavior, and Jin gave orders for his unit to perform the first strike to mentally screw with him.

His blue eyes widened slightly before they narrowed again in fury. He took a few steps forward until they were three feet from each other. "All I'm asking is for you to come to your senses and put an end to this madness! He trusts you...he'll listen to you if you reason with him. Countless people don't have to die over some damned family feud!" he pled with her sincerely.

Nina sighed heavily in annoyance and rubbed her temples to fight off an oncoming headache. It was a difficult situation to contend with considering that everyone around her was utterly clueless about what was really going on. Did he really think this was only about Jin and Kazuya trying to get "even" with each other? If that was the case, she would have definitely used her non existent influence that Lars seemed to think she possessed to talk him out of something so trivial. She saw no point in continuing this conversation any further considering that he neither possessed the necessary information to understand Jin's motives nor could she tell him. It was time for her to take her leave from his little interrogation and head to the airport to travel back to HQ. "It will all be over soon, but until then I advise you to stay on his good side," the assassin warned him once again.

Lars remained silent as he stared at her menacingly with a sneer. He was quite hell bent on preventing her from leaving until she told him what he wanted. "What are his true intentions? What does he truly hope to gain from this?" he asked, desperate for answers to explain the chaos they were all intertwined in.

Her face had now reverted into a stone, emotionless mask with two bright blue orbs gleaming intensely with fury. "It's not your concern," she informed him in a brusque manner. "Return to your duties, soldier." Nina took another step forward, attempting to urge the man to step aside, but he was unrelenting. There was now only a foot of space between them.

Lars was firm in his decision to detain her until she told him something of value. Her eyes burned into him fiercely like a sapphire blaze. When angered, he could see that she possessed the eyes of a true murderess. Perhaps his efforts to appeal to her human side were all done in vain. "Why? Why are you protecting him?" Lars probed.

"It's my job," she answered curtly. "Move!" He was on his last warning.

"You're under the influence of a tyrant! He's no leader, only a poor, misguided boy with hatred in his heart!" he shouted angrily.

She had grown weary of this. Without another word she popped open the clasp of the gun holster on her hip. Her eyes narrowed dangerously at the taller man blocking her pathway out of the armory. "Let's not make this any more complicated than it has to be, Alexandersson."

Their eyes remained locked in an extremely anger filled staring match as both of their wills remained inflexible to intimidate each other into doing their bidding. Had they not been somewhat comrades, they both knew that their confrontation would have escalated to violence long ago. Before he could utter a word to de-escalate the tension, a blaring alarm resounded throughout the camp.

The sound of the soldiers rallying about could be heard just outside the room. Heavy boots colliding with the ground and firearms being fired just outside the base were audible to the two occupants within the armory. A few soldiers barged in frantically to gather more weapons to prepare for the assault. The soldiers looked at the high ranking members in shock. "Captain, G Corp is attacking! We have to defend our position!" one soldier reported hastily before running out to join the battle.

Lars clenched his fists in frustration before casting the blonde woman one last disdainful look before swiftly departing from the room to join his comrades in battle. The spirit seemed drained from his once optimistic demeanor as he reluctantly had to clash with their enemies once again in this senseless war.

Nina exhaled and shook her head once she was granted freedom from the forlorn man's scornful eyes. She pressed a button on her earpiece to contact her superior. She began speaking as soon as the call picked up.

"G Corp reared their ugly heads...just as you predicted," she informed as she slowly paced around the armory.

"His moves are getting more predictable. Why are you still there?"

"I was held up," she stated plainly. "Should I lend my assistance since I'm available?"

"No," he ordered firmly. "Return immediately before things get out of control."

He ended the call, and she had her orders. It was a shame that she wouldn't be able to partake in the festivities, but Jin made it clear that he wanted her role to strictly remain covert. Now, she had to find a way out of the facility without being spotted so that she could return to HQ.

* * *

The crackle of gun fire filled her ears as she surreptitiously made her way around the back of the hangar while the G Corp soldiers took on the Tekken Force. What was the purpose of this attack besides to inconvenience them? The air strikes were completed and the damage had been done, so their faux heroism to stop them was useless. Nina attempted to pick up speed to make it around back, but the ever accumulating snow made it quite a laborious task to complete without slipping or falling. There were a few military jeeps parked in the back, and with luck she'd be able to get away from all the havoc. All she could think about was boarding a warm, cozy private jet and finally seeking shelter from the snowy weather.

In her haste to swing open the door of the vehicle, she slipped somewhat clumsily; however, even in her error she had heard the distinct sound of glass shattering above her head. It was the unmistakable sound of a bullet narrowly missing her head. Before she could fully regain her composure and her footing she was completely blindsided and caught off guard by a blunt object colliding into her skull, which sent her falling backwards into the snow.

"Leaving the party so soon? I came a long way to see you, blondie," a voice spoke.

Nina groaned softly in pain and annoyance as she lifted her throbbing head up to get a good look at her assailant. The blinding whiteness of the snow shrouded the figure a little, but that voice sounded awfully familiar. 'I fucking hate snow,' she thought irritably as she attempted to get up.

"Oh no, please stay down just like that. You look good on your back, heh, and if you're anything like your sister I'm sure that's how you do your best work," the voice insulted.

The assassin finally got a good look at the man standing over her with a rifle in his hands and her face formed a scowl. "Irvin," she hissed indignantly. "Still Kazuya's favorite toady, I see. Back at it again with my dear sister, just like old times."

Bruce smirked cockily in satisfaction. "The pay is good and I get to do what I love, whipping a bunch of pansies into shape to turn them into the perfect soldiers," he paused. "Now, that brings me to why I'm here. You killed my men, you heartless bitch!"

As if she hadn't heard that line before. "Did I? I have a terrible memory, so you're going to have to be more specific," she responded with a nonchalant smirk. "And if I did, you might need to take a number to file that complaint."

The furious kickboxer pointed his rifle at her with sneer. "Don't play innocent with me, you stupid bitch, you know damn well what I'm talking about!" he fumed. "I should just light you up right now, but I'm sure you're worth more to Kazuya alive, he's just dying to know what secrets Jin is hiding. If anyone can get you to sing like a canary, it's him." Bruce smirked evilly at the woman.

Despite his confidence about this situation, that was a future predicament she just couldn't foresee for herself. She had experienced far too many delays today, it was time for her to get things back on track. 'So, I'm a target for G Corp now? Interesting, I'll have to take extra precautions in the future to watch my back,' she pondered calmly, not feeling particularly threatened by the man before her.

"On your feet, Goldie Locks, I'm taking you back to our base!" he ordered as he motioned for her to rise to her feet slowly with his gun.

Nina made a small motion to peel her body up from the fluffy snow before she swiftly rolled under the vehicle and out of his view. By the time she reappeared on the opposite side of the vehicle she had already drew her 9mm handgun. Naturally, Bruce was waiting for her on the other side, but once she had him in her sights, she wasted no time to fire a few rounds at him, forcing him to take cover behind the rear of the jeep. She quickly sprung to her feet before taking cover near the front of the vehicle.

"You think I'm going to let you get away that easily? Guess again!" Bruce yelled as he quickly emerged from his cover and fired wildly at her.

Nina remained behind her cover as bullets whizzed past her head and ricocheted from the hood of the jeep. She stooped down and took a quick surveillance of the area. The distant sounds of gunfire and yells signified that the battle was still in full swing, and she was flattered that Bruce decided to miss all of the action to tail her. 'I don't have time for this...I have to escape!' she thought.

Bruce peered out from his cover to see if they were still playing their little duck and shoot game. She wouldn't last long with that little handgun of hers. "Not so tough now that you're not safely tucked away like a coward with a sniper rifle, huh? Those men you killed were true soldiers that never ran from the true grit of the battlefield!" he raved angrily. He finally emerged from his cover and cautiously stepped through the snow as he neared closer to the front of the vehicle with his finger ready on the trigger. He narrowed his dark eyes when he saw that she was no longer there. "Bitch! Where are you!?" he cursed her angrily. He heard a whistle and quickly whipped around only to see the assassin sliding over the roof of the vehicle to deliver a hard, swift kick to his face. He stumbled backwards and quickly grabbed his bloody, broken nose as he groaned in pain.

Nina quickly leapt down from the vehicle and quickly followed up with and kick to the man's knee cap with enough force to hear a familiar popping noise. It was then that the larger man let out a glorious wail of agony that nearly forced a sadistic smile to appear on her lips. She walked over to him and as he attempted to weakly aim his rifle at her, she quickly kicked it out of his grasp before firmly planting her foot into his dislocated kneecap.

She ignored his cries of pain before saying, "I find it hard to believe that such a passionate man would waste his talents for a heartless creep like Kazuya...what a sad life you lead."

"You...you think you're any better? That boy you're working for...he's just as ruthless," he bit out in a strained voice. "At least Kazuya is trying to put an end to this war!"

She crushed her boot into his knee even harder and watched him squirm. "That's so adorable that you believe that devil could ever be a savior," she taunted condescendingly.

"You bitch...fuck you!" Bruce cursed as he writhed in pain. He tried to reach for his rifle, but his attempt only earned him a swift kick to the groin.

Nina watched him in mild amusement as he completely balled up in pain after last her attack. She shook her head and quickly stepped over him to pick up his discarded rifle. She looked down at the pitiful man again with a smirk before saying, "By the way, tell my dear sister I said hello." She lifted up the rifle and quickly repaid him by slamming the butt of the rifle into his front temple with enough force to render him unconscious. She let out a slow exhale before turning back to the vehicle. Her phone rang and she answered the call.

"The pilot has informed me that you still haven't boarded the jet," Jin spoke in an even yet slightly angry tone. "What's keeping you?"

"It's not my fault that everyone hates me today," she replied dully as she quickly rushed towards the jeep and jumped inside. "Don't worry I'm on my way, finally."

"This is your final warning, now hurry."

The call ended and the assassin sighed in annoyance. He was particularly grouchy today, but she ignored it as she started the engine and quickly pulled off. She hoped the boys fared well in battle, it would be a shame for them to lose the base, especially since she had already aided them by incapacitating G Corp's squad leader. She drove away from the battlefield, leaving behind the carnage as she headed en route to the airport.

* * *

 **End of chapter 16!**

Looks like Nina has a lot of enemies... but I'm sure she's used to it.


	17. Keep It Together

Hello everyone! Sorry I haven't been keeping up with updates lately, but my summer is getting pretty busy, but I'll try to keep posting updates regularly. Also, just a heads up, I may be bumping the rating up to M...for _reasons_ in future chapters, and because I don't want to violate any policies. I'll let you know about the rating change when it happens, hopefully everyone is okay with that. Here's chapter 17! R &R

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco**.

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The news was extremely merciless with their latest reports concerning the activities and war strategies the Mishima Zaibatsu was implementing. However, it was expected. In this war, there were only two sides, heroes and villains. The world was obsessed with that dated dichotomy that only pegged people as good or evil, no one ever considered the middle grey area. The world wouldn't care about the motives behind such gruesome acts of war, no one would care if it was all for the salvation of mankind. Was it all worth it in the end? Would they care about the sacrifices that had to be made for the greater good of mankind? Probably not. People were so self absorbed and ignorant, it wouldn't matter to them if the "Destroyer of the World", as the articles exaggerated, was the real savior. In the end, would it all be worth it, or would his sacrifice be in vain?

Avoiding the truth was cowardly, so he sat there and tortured himself with the facts. The damage reports were in, and they were just as horrific and dreadful as he had envisioned they would be. The body count was increasing steadily with each new update, hundreds turned into thousands, and the numbers were still rising. It was being heralded as the most catastrophic event in recent times, and it was all his doing. The raven haired young man observed the horrific news reports from his desk with a glass of whiskey in his hand. It did nothing to calm the turmoil within him, but at least the taste warmed him.

'Is this destruction enough, or will _it_ require more destruction to come forth?' he thought darkly. 'If more is needed, then I have no choice...it must be done.' A familiar beep sounded throughout his office, finally. If he had to wait any longer he'd probably be too inebriated to focus on anything.

The blonde assassin walked into the dimly lit office casually and calmly despite the havoc they were heavily embroiled in at the moment. He had a penchant for calling late meetings, then again, had she made it back on time it would have been a little earlier. As she strolled towards his desk she observed that he had been finding solace in a bottle in these tough times. It was a classic coping mechanism for many a fool who believed that demons could be fought back with wine and spirits, but she couldn't judge him too harshly, for she'd fallen into that trap before.

Her eyes found their way to the television, and once again she was bombarded with news about their recent evil doings. Between radio broadcasts and alerts from her phone, she had grown weary of hearing about it. She leaned over his desk and reached for the remote to shut it off.

"Leave it," his voice broke the silence.

Nina retracted her hand and folded her arms across her chest. "You're only torturing yourself," she stated. "Have you been sulking all night listening to the news kick your name through the mud?"

"Ha," he scoffed slightly. "I deserve this...those reports..." his voice trailed off, becoming swallowed in his own melancholy.

"Let's not discuss that right now, " she suggested as she once again reached over his desk to grab the remote, this time with success, to completely shut off the TV. "It's done, there's nothing we can do besides move forward."

Jin looked up at her slowly as she spoke those words. How did she do it, and how could he learn to compartmentalize his tumultuous emotions into separate boxes to keep a clear head? Beneath that aloof mask, was she feeling just as guilty and conflicted as he was?

Admittedly, the few glasses of whiskey he had did nothing to help him contain his emotions, and he probably looked completely unhinged to her. He had to pull himself together. He sat up a little and rubbed his hand over his eyes to gather his thoughts. He'd summoned her so often in leisurely times that sometimes he'd forget when they had actual business to discuss. "How did everything go?" he asked on a more serious note.

"Besides having a pissing contest with Alexandersson and being ambushed by one of Kazuya's lackeys, it went well," she reported dryly. "I would've been here sooner if it weren't for the delays." Seeing his current state, she understood that he was probably in need of an emotional crutch, and she somehow felt bad for not being there when the shit first hit the fan.

"You're here now...that's all that matters," he slipped out.

The blonde raised a brow at his words. An amused smile danced along her lips at his oddly candid admission. This would be a good start to lighten the mood. "Well, don't worry, with the way things are going to be from now on, it seems I'll need to be glued to your side."

A semblance of a smile appeared on his lips as he leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes. "That's good to hear," he muttered in a low voice.

His odd charm always intrigued her. She had nothing witty to say in response, so she remained silent as she watched him relax into his chair. He seemed to be taking this quite hard, yet it was only the tip of the iceberg of the true destruction that was going to ensue from their actions. Deep down, she knew that he wasn't ready for any of this. He definitely wasn't evil, but to get through this he would have to fill the shoes for that role. Due to his outward appearance, his cold, stoic attitude and uninviting aura, the media had no problem painting him as the perfect villain. On the other hand, she couldn't fathom how they were successful at making Kazuya the complete antithesis of Jin. People truly believed that he was heroic, benevolent, and righteous; it was completely ludicrous. It was a mad world they lived in indeed.

Nina continued to observe him, taking note of his appearance as he still rested in his chair. It was the first time she had seen him somewhat tipsy. His usually perfectly spiked raven hair was slightly disheveled and his attire was unkempt, his shirt was only a few buttons shy from being completely undone, exposing his well toned chest more than usual. It was a nice sight to behold, but it was not the time let her mind wander onto such things. Despite his distress, he appeared to be subdued as he quietly rested in his chair.

Her blue eyes continued to skim over his form with interest. She wondered about him sometimes. As she studied his face, she had vague memories of the night they first encountered each other almost three years ago. His eyes were the only thing she could remember. They burned into her memory, filled with determination and compassion as he freed her mind from that beast's grasp. His eyes were different now, cold and listless. Was he a misunderstood hero or just the classic case of a good boy gone bad? 'I don't know how all this will end, but I won't know unless I stick around until then...I must protect him,' she thought as she silently stared at him.

The raven haired man sighed heavily as he slowly opened his eyes once more and immediately his light brown eyes locked with the crystal blue eyes of the blonde assassin across his desk. It was the first time that he'd seen himself as a focused object of her gaze. "Do you see something that interests you, Miss Williams?" Jin asked with a smug smile appearing on his face.

Had she been staring that long? She averted her eyes from his for a moment before returning her gaze to his. She folded her arms across her chest with a small smirk and replied, "Perhaps."

"Hmph, good to know."

Nina shook her head slightly, trying her best to conceal a smile that tried to creep its way onto her lips. Hopefully, this meant his mood was slightly improving, but she was still worried about him. "Very amusing, but I think it's time for you to turn in for the night, " she strongly suggested.

"As if I'll be able to sleep..." he complained as he sunk back into his chair and closed his eyes again. His brain felt like it was swimming around in his skull, but at least that sensation made him feel numb to everything else.

"Well, you better give it the old college try," she said. "It's better than staying up all night drinking yourself into oblivion." With that said, she walked around his desk and began to clear it from the half empty whiskey bottle along with the glass he was drinking from. She was certain that he had enough for the night.

Jin slowly opened his eyes and watched her silently as she tidied up his little mess. The blonde walked around his chair and a small shiver travelled throughout his body when her bare thigh lightly brushed against the back of his hand as it lay on the armrest. He exhaled quietly and ignored the fluttering sensation in his gut as he continued to watch her perform menial chores not within her job description. The woman he perceived her to be from reading her old files would have never done anything like this, and similarly, the woman he intercepted in that dark alleyway wouldn't have either. He would have never figured that the cold-blooded assassin would have warmed up to anyone, especially not to him. He watched as she returned from his bar with a glass of water in hand and as she sat it down in front of him. He remained silent as his eyes never left her.

She took notice of her employer watching her intently and wondered what was on his mind. Then again, it was never an easy task to decode his thoughts or actions, so she dismissed it. "Drink some water. It'll help a little to clear your head before you go to bed," she suggested calmly.

Jin smirked at her. Honestly, he wasn't completely incapable of taking care of himself. He supposed that from her perspective he looked like a blithering mess in desperate need of help. A nice sentiment, it was, but he wasn't that dejected and distraught, yet. He still remained silent as he slowly stood up and crossed over to the sofa in his office in the same manner. He plopped down on his back and rested his head on the arm of the sofa as he closed his eyes again.

"Are you seriously going to sleep here all night? " Nina questioned.

"It makes no difference...I won't fall asleep anyway."

Nina sighed with a small shrug. "Suit yourself," she said as she walked towards the door. Despite declining to return to his quarters, he was still safe and would probably fall asleep if he were left in silence long enough. With that reassurance, she could probably rest peacefully herself.

He heard the soft thud of her shoes on the area rug as they retreated away from him. "When this is all over...what will you do?" he asked, unexpectedly.

The blonde assassin paused in her step and looked over her shoulder at the young man strewn across the black, leather sofa. It was evident that he didn't want to be left alone just yet. She turned around and slowly made her way back over to him with a calm expression. "So, because you can't sleep, you're planning to keep me up with small talk?"

"I'm asking merely out of pure curiosity," he answered, not bothering to open his eyes as he spoke. He felt the weight on the sofa shift slightly and assumed that she had taken a seat on the back of it. "Well?"

"I'll continue doing what I do best, nothing surprising at all," Nina replied casually.

"Wouldn't you like to retire?" he put forth as a suggestion. "I'm sure with your current salary you could live quite comfortably after this."

A small smile appeared on her lips as she gazed down at him. She already lived comfortably in between jobs. She was no fool, she knew how to manage her funds. Why was he so interested in her activities after her contract with him was complete? "Assassins don't retire...they eventually get killed off by someone more skilled and ruthless," she told him grimly. "There's no life of leisure for retired killers, only a life filled with paranoia and nightmares."

He listened to her gloomy words and felt somewhat perturbed by her response. "You won't have to worry about that...you'll be protected."

She raised a brow. "By whom exactly?"

"My secret service...as my second in command, you will be far too valuable to be left unprotected," he revealed to her.

"Second in command?" she repeated, mildly surprised. "I'm just your bodyguard and private flunky, why would you ever consider giving me such a position?"

"Because you're capable of running this company...even in my absence," he confessed truthfully.

Nina looked down at him, a little taken aback by his statement. She wondered if he was keeping his eyes closed to mask his emotions since he probably knew that she had learned to detect them within his eyes. "And where are you planning on going that would require me to run the company alone?" she queried. She felt like she was being deprived of some vital information for some reason.

He fell silent, no longer desiring to prolong the conversation beyond that point. He had already revealed enough, even though he still prevented himself from telling her the true grand finale of his plan just yet for unknown reasons. He did wonder what her reaction would be, but at this point he couldn't let her sway or influence his intentions, that is, if she truly cared enough to attempt to stop him.

"Don't pretend to be asleep now," she said as she peered down at him on the couch. "Answer me, what's on your mind?"

"You wouldn't want to know," he replied tiredly.

She could detect the drowsiness in his tone and figured that the whiskey was working its magic. "Enlighten me." Looking down at his face, she could see a smile sneaking its way onto his lips.

"I see you...in white lingerie...dancing..."

Nina's eyes widened in shock at his words. She couldn't believe he had the audacity to say such a thing to her. She could feel her cheeks heating up slightly at him mentioning that all of the sudden. "You..." she hissed, with anger rising in her voice. She took a deep breath to compose herself and recover from the mild embarrassment she felt from his words. She stood up and slowly walked around to the side of the sofa and leaned over his resting form to stare directly down into his face. "You're lucky that I like you, Kazama, most men would have their necks snapped for making remarks such as that," she warned lightly in a sultry tone. "I'm going to pretend that you're too drunk to think straight."

It was then that he lazily opened his eyes to look up at her, taking note of the small, barely noticeable flush of pink on her usually perfect ivory complexion. She was very amusing. "Beautiful..." he whispered softly before closing his eyes once again.

The assassin was dumbstruck once again. Her stomach was somersaulting from nervousness as she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip softly in frustration and confusion before she stood to her height and decided to finally take her leave. She had enough of his strange ramblings for one night. She secretly hoped that he would suffer from a horrific hangover the next morning, which would be his just desserts to punish him for his reckless tongue. The thought brought a small, smug smirk to her lips as she left his office.

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 **End of chapter 17, chapter 18 coming soon!**

This was a shorter chapter because some future chapters are a little lengthy, but I'm trying to see what I can cut out to make them less _wordy_ lol. Thanks for reading!


	18. Charades and Distractions

Hello everyone! I'm so sorry that's it's been so long since I've updated, it's been difficult finding free time to do so lately, but I'll try to keep more chapters coming. Thanks again for the reviews everyone! :) Here's chapter 18!

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.**

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The tensions between the two opposing powers was rising and becoming more intense and dangerous with every strategic move made by the men controlling them. Losing the upper hand was never a good feeling, but whether they won or lost, the public always stood in their corner to offer them support. They were always ready to hear the latest reports and get the latest scoop to shovel out to the public through various outlets. They were waiting now, waiting for their next big performance.

With precision, the brunette carefully applied more rouge to her lips while waiting in the lobby for her employer to come down from his office after several morning meetings. There was some unholy mess he had to handle after the raid on the base in Russia was a complete failure. With Bruce temporarily out of commission, they had suffered another great blow to the core strength of their units. It was a shame about what happened to Bruce. The poor man was airlifted from Moscow and returned to them humbled and battered. Of course she felt bad for her fellow comrade, but deep inside she hid a childish giggle at his misfortune and unfortunate encounter with her sister. However, it was his own fault since she warned him not to recklessly pursue her.

'A broken nose, busted knee cap, and a severe concussion, poor Bruce should consider himself lucky…I hope he learned his lesson,' she thought in amusement as she puckered her crimson lips in her compact mirror. She could hear Kazuya's heavy footsteps approaching her from behind, his hard soled leather shoes echoing throughout the lobby from his stride.

"Let's get this over with," he said hotly as he walked past the brunette and pushed through the thick glass doors.

Anna quickly followed in step to keep up with the angry man. Kazuya was never a "people person", so it was imperative for her to serve as his primary mouthpiece to deal with the masses.

Once outside, the pair was swarmed and bombarded by the press like famished vultures diving down onto a new carcass to pick clean. Flashing photography lights blinded their eyes while a multitude of questions overlapping each other assaulted their ears all at once.

"What are your comments on the bombings?"

"Will G Corp donate money to charities to provide assistance to the countries affected by the war?"

"The Mishima Zaibatsu has a seemingly unstoppable army, does G Corp have the resources to fight back?"

Question after question came, one after the other that neither of them could barely respond to efficiently or clearly. Anna held up her hands as a signal to calm the overly eager reporters. "One at a time, people, you'll all have your chance if you're patient enough," she declared in her usually playfully flirtatious tone. Her eyes shifted over to her boss, who seemed highly irritable with the anxious journalists. This is why he needed her there.

Kazuya folded his arms and looked over the crowd of hungry reporters with an expression of slight annoyance mixed with pure hatred. Despite the many pros of having the media of their side, he simply couldn't stand this charade they had to put on for these feeble-minded clowns. Charity? How laughable. And why was it assumed that after one loss they'd be completely incapable of matching Jin's forces on the field? These speculations were completely inaccurate and uncalled for. 'That pathetic whelp… he's completely destroying that company from the inside out. When I do seize control, the damage control will be nearly impossible to manage,' he thought disdainfully. He silently watched as Anna continued to razzle and dazzle the crowd with her cunning tongue and miraculously detracted attention from difficult questions skillfully with winks and seductive smiles.

Anna's responses were succinct and somewhat evasive as she avoided telling them anything vital about their plans. All they needed to know was that, despite their losses, they'd still continue fight against the many injustices and crimes wrought on the world by the Mishima Zaibatsu. That way, they'd garner more sympathy and support from the public and more corporations would fling money their way to aid the war. "Please have faith in us, we'll stop at nothing to restore peace to this world. Our setbacks won't hold us down," she strongly declared with a contrived air of gallantry.

The public puppets ate her words up hungrily, but they hungered for more. Unfortunately, it was time for them to take their leave. A nameless grunt under his employ ran to his side and informed him that their car was waiting for them, so it was time for them to wrap it up. Kazuya stepped beside Anna and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "We're leaving…no further questions," he announced to the crowd.

More camera lights flashed as she and Kazuya waded through the thick crowd of paparazzi and reporters to get into their newly arrived company car. The brunette woman found herself giving them a few last minute photo ops, out of courtesy of course. After all, they would need a good magazine cover for the story. Her moment of basking in glory and fame came to a violent, abrupt halt as a loud piercing shot rang out over the area. A small gasp of air pushed from her lips, and her body felt weightless as she felt herself falling.

* * *

It was a particularly slow day for her, so she simply had to find something to cure herself of the ever looming ennui over her life. When she wasn't globe trotting to carry out missions or taking out inept hitmen, she found that she had too much down time at her disposal. In that aforementioned down time, her eyes had been assaulted by one too many fluff pieces in various magazines featuring a certain sly tongued, brunette minx whose lies had slithered beneath her usually thick skin and tickled a few nerves. Normally apathetic and aloof towards her younger sibling, the blonde finally found herself to be a little more than peeved with her as of late. Cutting words and cruel jibes were commonplace in their dysfunctional relationship, but this time she had gone too far.

With her trained muscles and skilled balancing, she sat perfectly perched high up in a large tree with the scope of her sniper rifle trained on the spectacle before her. There were varying reactions to the shot that seemingly came from nowhere. Some stood in place in startlement and confusion as if they were still trying to ascertain the nature of the sound; others frantically screamed and scattered from the scene, abandoning the latest scoop to abide by their natural instincts of self preservation.

True to her dramatic fashion, she watched as the attention seeking woman in the long, red overcoat wobbled and flailed about as her balance was suddenly thrown off kilter by the destruction of the stiletto on her left red heel. Now, they were even. The blonde's lips raised with an amused smirk, and she even let out a small laugh at the sight. Luckily for the stumbling woman, a strong, reflexive hand gripped her arm before she completely toppled over. What a _hero_ he was after all. She adjusted her scope and focused in on the devilish man's face. Her heart leapt for a moment as his gleaming red eye burned into her focused blue eye through the scope. Had he seen her? Whether he had or not, it was time for her to make a hasty retreat. She had done what she came to do, and now it was time for her to take her leave.

She swiftly jumped from the height of the tree, and with the reflexes of a cat, she landed perfectly on the ground before bolting to her motorcycle not too far off. She would have to take several discreet back roads to avoid suspicion from the authorities. A woman with a rifle strapped to her back zipping down the streets would be sure to rouse the suspicions of anyone. She usually hated being impulsive, but just for the day, she had fun acting on her desires for vengeance. 'Anna…that'll teach you to keep my personal business out of your shitty tabloid articles,' she thought as her motorcycle roared as she zoomed down the streets.

* * *

The sounds of loud thuds reverberated throughout the room as powerful, thunderous fists repeatedly collided into the large punching bag before the temperamental man. The dull ache in his fists weren't enough to hinder him from completing his daily training. Usually, his mind was a blank slate while he trained, but recently his thoughts were plagued with the many horrors and atrocities caused by the war he initiated. Even worse, it wasn't enough. More blood would have to be spilled in order to awaken that beast. The voice of that creature still echoed in his dreams at night, continuously taunting and begging for him to cause more mayhem. It was maddening.

The tingling sensation of electricity flowed through his arms as his punches were now fueled by anger, allowing more of his true power to manifest due to the cursed Mishima blood flowing through his body. 'It's as if that bastard wants me to destroy the entire world before he comes forth...' his thoughts whirled angrily as he continued to throw a violent onslaught of punches to the bag. 'What's the point of trying to save the world if it will be reduced to a wasteland of rubble and corpses!?'

His concentration was broken when he heard the wooden floor creak ever so slightly outside in the hall. He halted his punches and stepped away from the bag, breathing heavily and rapidly from the exertion of energy. He unstrapped his red gauntlets and tossed them onto a nearby bench. His hard eyes stared down at his bare hand vacantly as he slowly flexed it to sooth the minor aching in his fist.

"There's no use in hiding, I know you're there," he spoke to the silence. A few more moments passed before the wooden door slid open slowly and revealed the silent assassin, who failed to uphold that title at the moment since he sensed her presence.

Nina slowly stepped into the dojo, clad in her normal office attire, and took a quick survey of the room. It was a pretty spacious traditional dojo decorated with various calligraphy scrolls on the walls as well as a variety of katana and daisho mounted on the walls. This was no doubt a place she could easily envision the old man spending most of his days before his most unfortunate demise.

Her eyes landed upon her employer and she drew in a small breath as she took in his appearance. The dim torch lighting in the room cast an amber glow over his form, and the sheen of sweat covering his body highlighted and defined his muscular physique. Her eyes then locked onto his left arm and studied the strange marking, which he had explained its origins to her that night in Phuket. She finally exhaled as she folded her arms across her chest and forcefully averted her eyes elsewhere as she idly walked about the room. "You weren't in your office," she stated matter-of-factly.

Jin noted her strange behavior and wondered if she came to him in need of a distraction. He, too, was in need of one as well. "So, you came down here to spy on me?" Of course, he didn't mind it at all, especially since it was her; he needed a break from his troubled thoughts anyway.

Nina cast a quick glance at him before returning her eyes to the katana collection on the wall. A low sigh escaped her parted lips. "I wasn't spying nor was I trying to sneak up on you, I'm just checking on you," she explained.

He quietly surveyed her as she silently stared at the swords on the wall. She seemed fascinated with them, but it also seemed that she was using them as a diversion as well. "You're restless," he observed.

"Restless, bored, or maybe _mentally unstable,"_ she scoffed as she finally tore her eyes away from the swords. She was secretly fantasizing about the damage she'd do unto a certain brunette wielding such a powerful weapon.

Of course. It seemed she had been reading one too many tabloid articles concerning those stories her sister had been responsible for leaking to the press. Upon skimming through her old files in the past, he had come across some of those hurtful assessments concerning her mental health, but he didn't think she'd be bothered by that. However, he himself knew better than to mention certain things concerning her complicated past, for he knew they would be her automatic hot buttons. Hardly anything got underneath her skin, but moments like this proved that even a cold blooded weapon like her could possess some vulnerabilities.

"It seems that you got your revenge," Jin said as he took a few steps towards her. "Hopefully, it was worth it, but you know she'll only use that as retaliation to further support her claims." Before he left his office, he had heard about the pandemonium over an assassination attempt occurring at Millennium Tower on a live news broadcast, and since he hadn't seen his bodyguard for most of the day, he only assumed that she was the culprit behind that mayhem. Ever since he had gifted that motorcycle to her, she was always zipping off and probably causing mischief somewhere.

The blonde smiled smugly and turned to face him finally. She kept her eyes solely focused on his to keep them from straying elsewhere. "It was well worth it, and I could care less what the little tart does in return," she declared flatly.

He didn't understand her ongoing feud with her sister or the nature of it, but it was safe to assume that neither of them would relent anytime soon. He stared at her silently for a moment and found it amusing that she was purposely trying to avoid looking at him. "You seem distracted," he pointed out with a faint smirk.

"You're assessing my mood quite a lot today, I must be easy to read," Nina shrugged her shoulders with folded arms. "I do suppose that I've been distracted and restless lately, but the same could be said about you."

"I'm fine," he instantly replied in an attempt detract attention away from his problems. Sometimes, he felt bad that she solely focused her attention on him and his issues, it made him feel selfish and overly demanding.

"It's those dreams again, isn't it?" she speculated. "That _thing_ is still being stubborn I take it. At this point, we should just bomb the whole damn temple and get this over with."

If only it were possible, but sadly he wouldn't allow it, for it was his fated battle to destroy that beast. "Hmph, you needn't worry yourself, everything will be fine," he reiterated. He paused when he noticed the shorter blonde woman intently staring into his eyes with her azure gaze as if she were studying the emotion behind them. At times, the power behind her eyes made him feel weak, but he didn't want to look away.

"You're worried. What is it that has you so worried?" she questioned further after her in depth analysis of him.

Everything. The war, the bad publicity, the nightmares, the unpredictable hitmen, the loss of his sanity, it was all weighing down heavily on him. He hid it because he knew she'd secretly overwork herself to keep things in order for him. He remained silent as his bodyguard continued to observe him.

"You worry too much. If you feel threatened because of the bounty on your head, you shouldn't," she said reassuringly with a small smirk. "Most of your headhunters couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. So, relax a little, Jin, and let me handle everything."

She was a workaholic. It wasn't as if she hadn't been busy or that he hadn't given her anything to do, her thirst for constant action was unquenchable. Over the past week, she had been eliminating assassins and hitmen who had their targets set on him left and right. She had even taken extra precautions and acted as a sentry after hours to keep a vigilant eye out for suspicious activity despite his concerns for her depriving herself of sleep lately. Perhaps this wasn't just boredom, maybe she was just as stir crazy as he was.

He hardly left HQ for business runs, and if he did they were only quick trips that hardly required her assistance. Even with a skilled bodyguard stepping within his shadow, he was careful not to expose either of them to any unnecessary threats if it could be avoided. She would be highly upset if she was ever made aware of this fact, so he kept that secret to himself.

"I suppose I'll take the blame for your boredom," Jin said as he looked down at her. "I have been postponing many interesting activities for us to partake in."

Nina raised a brow in intrigue. What was he getting at? "Oh? Go on," she said in an alluring voice.

The raven haired man smirked. He had her interest after all. "It's nothing too exciting, but I've been asked to attend the opera tomorrow night with a business associate," he informed her. "Due to you carelessly cancelling a meeting I had a few weeks ago, I've been pestered to reschedule, but with all that is going on, it's been impossible."

The blonde pondered on his words for a moment to recall this incident he spoke of before responding. "Oh, you mean the day you carelessly disappeared without warning? I had no idea that meeting was important. What about it?"

Jin folded his arms after her snide retort but said nothing to counter. "It's only polite that I at least hear him out," he continued. "Unlike the others, he's not as vile and intolerable as the pitiful businessmen sending me daily death threats."

That didn't sound very interesting at all. She was hoping for something more adventurous and thrilling. "That sounds awfully boring," she commented in a dry tone. "I would say count me out, but I'm sure that's not a possibility."

"Of course it isn't, you're going to grin and bear it with me," he said as he turned away from her and slowly walked towards the door. "You are my _escort,_ after all."

Escort? That was yet another lie the media was spreading about her, all thanks to her dear sister. She rolled her eyes at his remark and said, "Comedy clearly isn't your strong suit, Kazama." Even as she watched him walk away, she could envision the satisfied smug look on his face. It was now evident that she and Jin had been alone together for too long because too much of her dry humor was rubbing off on him. She followed him to the door until he abruptly stopped. Now what? She remained silent.

The raven haired man peered over his shoulder to look back at her. "On a more serious note, I need you there with me. Besides, you might find it quite entertaining in other ways."

"I surely hope so," she muttered to herself. She prayed that it wouldn't simply be an event full of champagne clinks, charades, and pretentious conversations, but it shouldn't be, not with the most wanted man in the world by her side. Surely, and hopefully, some daring soul would make a move to keep her from completely withering away from boredom.

"Don't stay up too late tonight," Jin advised as he left the dojo. "I don't want you to over work yourself…you've done enough."

She watched him leave silently and sighed to herself again. Perhaps she was over doing it, but she couldn't help it, it was her job. However, she would heed his words and attempt to get at least a full four hours of sleep tonight.

* * *

End of chapter 18.

When I first started this story, I had no idea it'd be so long, but I have so many different ideas brewing that I need to sort out! Remember, a rating change is on the horizon!;) R&R


	19. Prelude to Temptation

Greetings everyone! Happy Solar Eclipse Day! I hope you all wore your protective glasses if you joined the madness. Summer is quickly winding down, so I hope everyone is making the most of it. Thanks again for the reviews and support, it keeps me going especially when I feel too down or lazy to write lol. Finally, here's chapter 19!:)

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.**

* * *

 _"You know, you haven't aged a bit. You're just as handsome as you were when I last saw you," the brunette complimented the aesthetically pleasing man with a coquettish smile._

 _Listening to the pair talk was unbearable. His calls had become more frequent before he decided to visit, and for unbeknownst reasons she didn't take a liking to him. An old acquaintance of theirs, she introduced him as; however, to her he was just another lost memory. They continued on in their senseless yammering about miscellaneous topics, none of which held her interest._

 _"Ah, you flatter me, but it's always nice to hear such kind words from you. I could say the same for you as well," he flirted casually._

 _The blonde sat quietly at the dining room table and slowly sipped her tea. It was always bitter, suspiciously bitter. It was as if her roommate was incapable of making a decent cup of tea. If she was going to ban her from entering the kitchen, she should at least possess some degree of culinary skills. She peered over to the pair and watched as the woman leaned closely towards the man as he continued to talk about himself. He was fascinated with strange things ranging from technology, vacationing, and his start up company. The brunette woman was most likely feigning interest in his conversation to get what she wanted out of him._

 _"I'm so impressed with everything you've done for yourself...you've changed. I'm glad you decided to pay us a visit, it's been so long since I've seen a friendly face." She then looked over to the anti-social blonde briefly and shook her head._

 _"How is she doing? It's quite tragic...I'm so sorry you're going through this and about everything that has happened," the charismatic man consoled her as he looked over to the silent woman as well._

 _As usual, people were talking about her as if she weren't even sitting in the same room. She felt like a spectre at times, a spectre of her former self. She took another sip of her tepid tea before completely losing interest in it. The bitterness lingered on her taste buds. She could feel their eyes on her, staring at her with pity. She hated it. She wasn't feeling well anyway, so she could use this as a valid excuse to take her leave without the brunette harping on her for being rude. The blonde stood up slowly and turned towards the pair._

 _"I'm going to bed. I…don't feel…" her voice trailed off weakly. She brought a hand up to her head to soothe away the oncoming migraine. The throbbing was unbearable._

 _The brunette stood up abruptly in alarm but remained cautious not to approach her. Her behavior was unpredictable. "What's the matter with you? Don't you dare do this now!" she snapped._

 _The pain was searing and it felt as if her head were going to explode. She squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh god…no…it hurts so bad!" she cried out in agony. The eyes, they burned a fierce red in her mind's imagery, attempting to seize control of her thoughts once again._

 _Seeing the brunette's hesitation made him spring into action. He rushed over to the blonde's aid and approached her with concern. He attempted to place a gentle hand on her shoulder despite the other woman telling him to stay away._

 _"She does this for attention…leave her be," she cautioned him. The medicine obviously wasn't helping her._

 _The ailing woman still cradled her head in her palms, hoping the pain would subside. A hand landed on her shoulder, causing her to flinch away from his touch. She looked up at him, and for a brief moment he seemed familiar, very familiar. "L-…" his name was on the tip of her tongue before a blinding red rage consumed her. She gritted her teeth in anger and a loud "smack" filled the atmosphere. Afterwards, silence fell over all of them._

 _The brunette looked stunned, staring in guffaw with widened eyes and a hand shielding her mouth._

 _The man was stunned and confused as he stared at her in shock. The anger in her eyes faded unlike the burning pain on his cheek._

 _The pain stopped and the red was gone, but her stinging palm was the only sensation she could feel. She looked between the both of them and felt completely disoriented. In that brief moment, she had forgotten what she had done or said, but she felt ashamed for some reason. The blonde hurriedly pushed past the man and fled from the room. Why did this keep happening to her? She just wanted a peace of mind, nothing more._

* * *

Her plans for a full night's rest didn't go accordingly, but at least she tried. Perhaps there was so much on her mind these days that her new added stress pushed her old repressed memories to the forefront of her mind. So, she tried to repress her already repressed memories even further by drowning herself in more work. Up early in the morning with no current tasks on her agenda, the blonde found herself patrolling around in the main building just to keep herself occupied. The halls were clear since it was only moments before the workday for the company's employees officially began.

She gazed out of the lobby window to surveil the grounds as if she were actually expecting something to happen. Too bad the protests had died down due to the Tekken Force being more proactive about clearing out trespassers. It was a shame because now she missed reading those hilarious protest signs; they were entertaining.

Her tired, blue eyes skimmed over the grounds as she watched as some of the early bird employees began arriving. A gleam caught her eye, and she turned her head and narrowed her eyes slightly as a chrome silver car pulled up on the sidewalk outside of the building. It was an odd, attention grabbing car that must've cost the owner a fortune. A woman in glasses with short dark hair dressed in business attire exited the vehicle on the passenger side with a beautiful bouquet of roses within her grasp. Nina squinted her eyes even further as she observed the sighting and realized that the woman was Jin's secretary.

'Arriving in fancy cars with roses? I didn't think his mousy secretary would be into high rollers,' she thought in amusement. She stretched her vision to its limits to try to get a better look at the secretary's mysterious beau, but the only thing she could make out was an older looking man with dark sunglasses and grey hair. The woman waved goodbye to him and, oddly, he gave her a thumbs up from his car before driving away.

Nina raised a curious brow. She wanted to think nothing of it, but her mind was trained to be suspicious of everything. The woman walked through the doors and began walking towards her desk, that is, until she spotted the stoic blonde standing near the large windows in the lobby.

"Oh…good morning, Miss Williams," she spoke politely, attempting to mask the usual nervousness in her tone.

The assassin slowly turned her head away from the window and regarded the woman with a single nod. Her eyes fell upon the flowers with a faint smile. "Fancy date?"

The young woman blushed and smiled sheepishly. "O-oh no! He's just a friend!" she clarified.

"I see," the blonde replied coolly before returning her attention to the window. Perhaps she was just being paranoid and was overstepping her boundaries. Besides, she felt like she was driving herself up the wall trying to observe and investigate every little peculiar occurrence happening within the company. 'I've been so wound up lately…I need to relax before I completely lose my sanity,' she thought as she finally walked out of the lobby to return to her quarters, leaving the secretary bewildered and tense. With the limited sleep she was running on, there was no way that she'd be exuberant enough to attend the opera later that night. She'd definitely have to be fully refreshed and mentally prepared to survive such an exhaustively boring event.

* * *

Somewhere in between not being able to find his cufflinks and failing miserably at tying his bowtie, he realized that he had made a grave mistake of accepting those opera tickets. He began to wonder if it was too late to have his invitation rescinded. Despite his regrets, he continued to dress himself. He had left from his quarters once he put on his tuxedo and went to his office where he'd rendezvous with his bodyguard before the limo arrived for them.

He stared at his reflection with disinterest as he made various predictions about the outcome of this night. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to stay longer than he desired. The performance would be long and grueling enough, but if he were coerced into participating in various insipid conversations afterwards, he'd lose his final nerve. With a deep inhale and exhale, he attempted to calm himself. Coping with crowds and social gatherings weren't his specialties, but for the sake of adding variety to his life and temporarily escaping his troubles, he figured it was better than spending another night alone with a whiskey glass in hand whilst sulking about his life's decisions.

'Just this one night…if nothing else is gained from this, at least it'll take our minds off the madness,' he thought as he still fumbled with his bowtie.

An informative beep sounded throughout his office to notify him that someone was attempting to gain entry. He was surprised that she was dressed already, he'd always heard that women took forever to dress themselves for formal events. As usual, he heard the soft thuds of her heels as she walked across the carpeted floor of his office.

"Well, don't you look debonair tonight," Nina complimented as she saw him standing in front of the ornate mirror mounted on the wall. He looked rather nice in a tuxedo, she could tell that she put a lot of effort into his appearance, and it seemed that he was still adding the finishing touches.

Once he was able to partially see her in his peripheral vision, he rotated his head slightly to look at her. He felt his stomach flipping and his heart rate increase dramatically as he gazed at her, dumbstruck by her appearance. His brown eyes were fixated on her as he slowly took in more details of her. She was beautifully adorned in a long, black, satin dress with a plunging neckline, and as she took a few steps forward, he noticed her long, creamy leg peeking out from the long slit in her dress. Her blonde hair was smoothed back into a low swirled bun with her bangs framing her ivory face; she was absolutely stunning. With a sharp intake of air, he quickly refocused his eyes on his reflection before they inevitably drifted onto other dangerous places on the assassin's body.

Nina smiled smugly to herself upon noting his behavior. She supposed that he was pleased with her appearance although he didn't verbalize it. Since he was still getting ready, she crossed over to the sofa and sat down to get comfortable while she waited. She still quietly observed him and wondered why he seemed a bit jittery. Was there a big business deal he was anticipating tonight, or was he paranoid about making a public appearance with such a tempting bounty price on his head? The blonde calmly crossed her legs and titled her head slightly in curiosity. "So, who is it that you're trying to impress tonight?" she inquired with interest. "I was always under the impression that your business associates tap danced on command for you."

Jin scoffed lightly at the thought. "No matter what buffoonery they resort to in order to get in my good graces, I don't reverse my decisions," he reminded.

He was quite the ball buster in the board room, so she knew first hand how unrelenting he could be. "Then who would give you box seat tickets knowing your business reputation? Are they just gifts or tools used to kiss ass in order to appeal to your sentimental side?"

"I'm sure this night will result in the old Rochefort fool trying to pull at my heartstrings to release the seizure of his oil fields, but it will be futile since I've told him countless times that I will remain firm in my decision," the raven haired man recounted coldly.

She remembered that poor old man from one of the meetings they had a while back. She was almost certain that he was on the brink of tears as he repeatedly pled for Jin's mercy, but to no avail. Nina shrugged. "Well, I'm sure you'll let him down easy."

"Hmph," he grunted to himself. In truth, he did regret his cruelty, but he needed every resource that he could seize in order to fund this war. "There's no way around it…you understand that, right?" He glanced over to her for a quick second before returning his eyes to his sloppily tied bowtie.

"Of course, I hardly question your motives," she reassured. So far, she abided by his demands and carried out her orders with hardly any hesitation, that is, unless he ordered her to do something that threatened either her well being or his. Nina sighed softly and stared at Jin from her position on the sofa and smirked at him as he struggled with his tie. A cruel jab towards his inability to tie it properly nearly slipped from her lips until she felt a shred of sympathy for him. Not that he probably wished for it now knowing the type of man his father is, but surely as a child he must've felt a gaping hole within him due to his absence throughout his childhood. This fact clearly presented itself before her as she watched him grow increasingly frustrated with the simple task. She quietly stood up and slowly walked towards him.

This was far more challenging than he thought it would be and he nearly gave up until he felt a presence standing beside him. The blonde slowly held out her palm with a straight face. She must've sensed his irritation and decided to lend him a hand. He was slightly embarrassed, but he pulled the tie from around his neck and gently placed it in her palm, reluctantly. He grew a little nervous as she stepped closely towards him to reach up to slip the silk black bowtie around his neck.

Jin swallowed nervously as he stared down at her, focusing his eyes on her as she focused her eyes onto his tie as she looped the material with ease between her slender fingers. When she briefly shifted her blue eyes up towards his, she smirked a little as he quickly tried to avert his eyes elsewhere. The soft floral scent of her perfume teased his senses, and he unintentionally inhaled slowly, feeling strangely at ease for the moment. He snapped out of his short-lived reverie as he felt her tugging at his tie a few times to make sure it was perfect.

"There, you're all set," Nina informed as she admired her work. Most little girls hovered over their mothers while they dressed for fancy events, playing in their heels and spraying expensive perfume on themselves for fun, but she had always found it more entertaining to watch her father polish his shoes to perfection and twist his ties into various knots. She never thought having such useless knowledge about men's fashion would come in handy, until now. Since she was already at it, she slid her hands over the lapels of his tux and smoothed it out.

He silently gazed down at her with tranquility in his eyes as he secretly took pleasure in their close proximity and the feel of her hands gliding gently down his chest as she continued to groom him. "Thank you," he said in a low voice with a faint, appreciative smile.

The blonde raised her crystalline blue eyes to meet his, and once again they found themselves locked into one of their usual silent staring matches. His rum colored eyes looked very gentle for the first time in a long while, and this, surprisingly, made her smile softly. She took another step forward, closing any space between them, and slowly slid her hands upwards from his chest until they rested on his shoulders. She could feel his throbbing heart beating wildly between them as they never broke eye contact. Like magnet to steel, she slowly gravitated towards him until her lips met with his.

His mind shut off, and the only thing that mattered to him at the moment was the silken feel of her lips caressing against his own. Her soft body pushing up against his, clad in that curve hugging dress did nothing to stop his carnal desires from reaching its peak. It was a sensational experience that sent shivers throughout his body as he began to crave more of her. With a little hesitation, he slowly allowed his hands to slip around her the curve of her waist, hoping that she wouldn't reprove him for the action. Much to his satisfaction, his advance caused her to embrace her arms around his neck, making the kiss far more intimate. Their lips continued to entwine in a seductive dance as they completely abandoned all rationality and escaped reality together.

Unfortunately, the moment was short lived when a sudden vibration from his slacks jolted the two back into reality, completely shattering their delusions of bliss. Their moist lips slowly peeled apart, and afterwards they remained silent for a moment as they stared at each other with lust and a myriad of other confusing emotions coursing through them. The vibration continued to demand his attention and further evacuated their jumbled minds from their previous activity. Jin mentally cursed as he quickly reached into his pocket to check the message on the disruptive device. He was highly annoyed by the interruption, but he supposed that it was important to know that the limo driver was waiting for them downstairs. He steadied his quickened breath as he returned his attention to the alluring blonde. He was now faced with a nice view of her backless dress as she took a few steps away from him and appeared as if she were quietly trying to regain her composure. An uncomfortable silence lingered between them since neither of them knew what to say at the moment.

Nina cradled her head in her palm very briefly as she drew in a deep breath. It felt as if her mind had shifted into autopilot, forcing her to cave in and act impulsively instead of logically. Once she felt that she finally descended from her erotic haze, she finally turned around to face her employer, who was staring at her expectantly. She placed a single hand on her hip and causally said, "We better get going, or we'll be late."

Not this time, he refused to let this issue go. He had grown increasingly frustrated with whatever game they were engaged in lately and even more frustrated with her refusal to discuss their _situation_. This hot and cold, cat and mouse game was killing him, and it added another level of stress in his life that he never had to deal with in the past. On certain nights, he lay awake in the darkness of his room relaying every interaction with the assassin and overanalyzing the significance of them until his tired mind finally succumbed to sleep. However, it seemed that she had mastered the art of putting on a facade and pretending that neither one of them, at one point or another, had crossed their line of professionalism. He was confused, and he wanted answers. "I think it's time that we talk about this," he demanded calmly as he looked down at her. "What are we doing?"

"Let's not," she quickly replied, dismissively. "It'll only make this more complicated."

He raised a brow slightly in confusion at her logic. "How so?" he asked as he leaned back against his desk with crossed arms.

Nina stared directly into his eyes and took a few steps towards him again with her hand still perched on the curve of her hip. "If we try to understand…whatever _this_ is, it'll become something, but if we don't discuss it and let it simply exist, it'll remain nothing," she explained obliquely.

The raven haired man's usual mask of indifference dissolved and was replaced by a look of bafflement. Even with all the philosophy texts he had been reading lately, he still couldn't understand her logic. Her explanation only further perplexed him. Why was she so hesitant to talk about this matter directly? "So, this is _nothing_?" he tried to deduce her reasoning. "Then why do any of this at all?" He felt himself growing frustrated with her convoluted and evasive answers.

"It's fun and thrilling…just the way I like it. If whatever this is continues, I prefer to keep it that way," she stated bluntly.

Her strange theory was hard for him to follow. He simply wanted to understand her motives and self interests better, he wanted to understand her. However, just as she wanted, they'd have to postpone this discussion for another time since they were running late. Jin stared at her wistfully for a little while before he wrangled in his thoughts in order to prepare himself for the evening ahead.

A wry smile graced her lips as she watched the moody man walk past her silently. "Don't overthink it, that'll definitely drain the fun from everything, " she advised carefully in a low voice. She knew her words had thrown him for a loop, but she refused to let this little _thing_ they had become unnecessarily complicated for several valid reasons, the most important being her focus on her duties. Hopefully, he would understand. It was for the best…for the both of them.

* * *

End of chapter 19...chapter 20 coming soon!

Cold as ice Nina strikes again! Don't worry...things may warm up by the next 2 chapters *hint* ;)


	20. Overture: The Devil's Torment

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delayed update. I meant to upload this last weekend, but this fall semester has been particularly unkind to my free time so far!:( I'll do my best to keep rolling out new chapters in the future. [Update: Minor error fix]

 **ATTN: The next chapter will be RATED M... just a heads up!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.**

* * *

They arrived to their destination within a reasonable timeframe, not too early or too late. It was a good thing because he didn't want to allow for much time socialize with his business associate, he wasn't looking forward to the man's groveling and begging all night nor was he looking forward to realizing how much more of a _monster_ he had become.

The ride over was unexpectedly quiet. Nina had sat silently, barely making eye contact with him as she stared vacantly out of the window or rested her eyes for long periods of time. It was evident that she was insistent on avoiding conversation, so he didn't bother her and quietly stayed to himself as well. It had become a common trend for every moment of intimacy that occurred between them to be quickly followed by an awkward period that always put a strain on their working relationship. Perhaps she was right, maybe it was best they didn't try to make sense of this, or the only logical response would be to cease everything altogether.

The opera hall was bright and inviting, and the crowd, mainly consisting of older patrons, were dressed to impress. As they approached closer to the entrance, he tensed up as he realized that this was a completely foreign experience for him. He had never had a slice of high society before since he grew up rather solitary on the countryside. However, considering his infamy, not fitting in was the least of his worries.

"Relax, Jin," the assassin purred softly from his side. "It won't be so bad."

He was surprised that she had finally broken her silence, but he was relieved that she wouldn't be a stone statue by his side all night. He supposed it wouldn't be so bad after all. Jin ignored the quick glances and hushed whispers of a few other guests as they ascended the stairs and entered the building. This was expected, so he didn't let the glares and stares phase him. Nina didn't seem to mind them at all; her aloof mask was perfectly in place.

Inside the main hall was quite the impressive view to behold. Beautiful crystal chandeliers hung from the two story high ceiling, red velvet drapery folded elegantly over the windows, and the grand marble staircase was lined with red carpeting that would make anyone who stepped foot on it feel important. This sight nearly awakened an old memory within her, but she couldn't connect it to a specific event from her past. Had she ever attended the opera as a child or was this a less than innocent memory connected to a past mission? Whatever the feeling was, it made her feel less out of place, but even so, she was a chameleon that could blend almost seamlessly into any environment.

"There he is," Jin announced suddenly. "It seems he brought a guest with him as well." Seeing this made him grateful that he had brought Nina along, he didn't want to get double teamed all night.

Her eyes followed in the direction he was staring until she saw an older man of average height dressed in a classic tuxedo with a ruffled shirt tied with a red bowtie. His once fair hair was blended with silver streaks, but his bushy, angular eyebrows were fully grey and stood out on his pale face. The man looked rather affable since he waved at them enthusiastically as they approached. The young girl next to him didn't looked too pleased. She stood next to the older man, taking the likeness of an angry porcelain doll. White frills and red bows dominated her attire, she definitely looked like a child's plaything. 'I hope I'm not expected to entertain this while the boys talk,' she thought to herself.

"Mr. Kazama, I'm so glad you joined us tonight," the man said enthusiastically as he stepped forward and extended his hand. There was a slight moment of hesitation before Jin extended his own and grasped the elder man's hand before releasing it shortly after.

"It's our pleasure," Jin said evenly. "My…associate and I are looking forward to the show."

Nina raised an arched brow at his little charade. She didn't know that he was capable of such duplicity without her coaching. This might be fun after all. The young girl next to the older man began whining rather incessantly to him in French, clearly displeased with their appearance. 'Poor princess, she looks pissed,' she observed calmly.

"Emilie! Don't be rude in front of our guests," he chastised the girl's behavior in a loud whisper before returning his attention to the couple before him. "Forgive me, this is my daughter, Lili. She's just anxious about being seated."

The assassin smirked to herself. That's clearly not what she was upset about. She had a few less than favorable words about the both of them, mainly Jin, but it was completely understandable. "It's fine, I'm quite excited to see the show as well," she chimed in, now fully participating in the charade. "Madame Butterfly has always been one of my favorite operas."

The older man offered her a kind smile. "That's delightful! It's Lili's favorite as well, right Lili?"

The young blonde girl loosened her pouted lips and decided to be more amiable as per her father's request. She flipped her long blonde tresses over her shoulder with a forced smile. "Of course, father, I hope everyone enjoys it tonight," she spoke in an airy tone. "If you all will excuse me, I'm going to freshen up before we're seated." She performed a polite curtsy before disappearing into the accumulating crowd.

Once the older man attempted to make small talk with Jin, focusing on the recent changes in the stock market, she knew that he'd eventually bring up the issues concerning his company's fate. She tuned out the conversation, not wanting to see the poor man bend over to win Jin's favor, and began discreetly surveying the room with her attentive eyes, checking for any suspicious persons amidst the elegant crowd. So far, everything seemed to be normal, how dull. Just as she had given up hope to find something interesting to do before the show, she saw a familiar figure peeking through the moving crowd. 'Well, now…it's the devil himself,' she thought in amusement as she slowly walked towards the familiar face.

Almost immediately, he felt the woman's absence from his side and he watched in silent distress as she departed and left him with the overly loquacious, sycophantic business man. He watched her glide and weave through the crowd until she vanished from his line of sight. His attention was reclaimed by the older man after he politely flagged down a waiter for drinks from his tray and thrust one towards him as he continued rambling on. There wasn't enough alcohol being served at this venue to make his current situation bearable.

The man she approached drastically contrasted from most of the other guests at the event. His attire had a certain flair to it, straddling the line of stylish and borderline garish. The white tuxedo was trimmed with silver lapels and in his to pocket he had a bright red rose on display. As she neared closer with her peach lips pulling into a smug smile, his brown eyes stretched a bit in surprise when he noticed her before a welcoming grin graced his fine features.

"My, my…even Helen of Troy couldn't hold a candle to you, Lady Williams," he complimented whilst quickly glossing over her form with his eyes before performing a courteous bow.

"Flattery will get you no where with me, Mr. Chaolan, but I appreciate your effort," the blonde coldly retorted, not at all impressed with his flowery speech and flamboyant gestures. "So, what brings the silver haired demon out of his cave this evening?"

The silver haired man let out a low chuckle at his old moniker slipping from her tongue. "I haven't heard that in many years, for I've changed, you see?" he said with a sly smile. "Letting go of the past was the best thing I could've done."

Was that last remark geared at her? She had a fuzzy, sordid history with the man before her, but she had long forgotten most of it, not sure if it was of her own volition or involuntarily. However, she wouldn't entertain himand his nonsense and risk losing her focus. With that in mind, her eyes skimmed over the crowd until she saw Jin once again. 'Rochefort is still at it I see. I don't know who I feel worse for, Jin or the old man,' she thought as she observed the situation from afar. In a moment of Jin casually averting his eyes from his business associate in boredom, they somehow found hers from across the room. For a brief moment, they stared at each other, his face beckoning for her to return, until he vanished into the moving crowd again. She was interrupted by the man beside her.

"Ah, I see, so everything I've been hearing is true," he commented as his eyes had found her object of interest. "Still entangled in the Mishima web of deceit, dear Nina? I thought you'd learn your lesson by now." He clicked his tongue with a shake of his head.

Nina folded her arms across her chest and looked up at the man before her. "Any chance that you've _heard_ this from a certain secretary you've been schmoozing with lately?" she interrogated with a brow raised.

His eyes widened a bit before he replaced his slightly baffled expression with yet another misleading, sly smile. He shrugged at her accusation. "Whatever do you mean? I have many friends because I'm a friendly guy. Besides, you should know that I, of all people, would be able to pick up on the not so subtle hints your lovely sister has been dropping to the media," he clarified.

She wasn't surprised at all. She knew that he would always closely follow any power moves made by his adoptive family despite his claims of letting go of his past. She didn't have time for this, the ushers were beginning to seat people and it was time to take her leave. "Whatever, just be sure to stay on the sidelines with your schemes and I won't have to deal with you," the blonde warned before walking off.

"Be careful, Nina, he's probably no different than the others…even more so dangerous," Lee cautioned as well. "We both know that they use anyone as a means to an end to get what they desire."

She halted in step and glanced over her shoulder at her old acquaintance, remaining silent but subconsciously heeding his warning before she continued walking and returned to her employer's side. It seemed that everyone was against her latest business arrangement, but she was always careful not to put all her eggs into one basket. 'Tensions are high everywhere, and I'm caught in the middle of the world's deadliest game of tug of war. As usual, I'll never let my guard down,' Nina reminded herself.

* * *

By the third act of the opera, he had completely checked out. Any ounce of interest that he had invested in the plot of the performance was long gone, and now he was barely clinging to consciousness. It was a mind numbingly boring love story with one too many dreary, melodramatic tunes being belted out by the actors. Jin lazily blinked as his eyelids became heavier with each passing moment as he struggled to stay awake. This was his punishment for trying to be nice and cordial, but he would suffer through it just to remind himself for future reference that he wasn't a true patron of the arts. The opera couldn't keep his interest, so he sought to find entertainment elsewhere.

He shifted in his seat and crossed his leg with an inaudible sigh pushing through his lips. His brown eyes peered over to the assassin seated next to him, and he surreptitiously observed her as she watched the show. To his surprise, she seemed to be quite engaged in the performance, her sapphire eyes were fixated on the actors below as they gave the audience their money's worth. Selfishly, he was hoping that she was in just as much agony as he was during the duration of the opera, but he seemed to be alone in his misery. Nonetheless, watching her provided him with some amusement, and it pleased him to see her somewhat enjoying herself.

Inevitably, his innocent, covert study of the woman seated beside him took a mischievous turn when his eyes were led astray and began journeying through the dangerous dips, curves, and valleys of her physique. That deep plunge in the front of her dress, which displayed just the right amount of her supple bosom, had successfully lured him in and tempted his normally respectful eyes to leer at her in a manner that felt both gratifying and shameful to him. That strange sensation began to stir within him again the longer his eyes remained fixated on her. The slow rise and fall of her chest, the steady blink of her blue eyes, and the subtle parting of her peach lips all served to silently drive him wild, making it harder for him to focus his attention elsewhere.

He nearly choked on his own breath when her suspicious eyes slowly peered at him in a sidelong stare. Jin's eyes quickly snapped away from her to feign a renewed interest in the performance. He cleared his throat nervously as he shifted in his chair uncomfortably again, feeling the weight of her gaze beating back his shameful, lustful thoughts. He didn't free the air from his lungs until he was released from the scrutiny of her eyes. He sighed to himself in frustration and tried his hardest to pay attention to the show.

It was almost over, it had to be because he felt like he had been sitting there for an eternity. His eyes roamed again when he noticed her shifting in her seat, slowly crossing her leg over the other. When the black satin material of her dress slid upwards and away from her bare thigh, the air felt trapped in his lungs once again as he discreetly indulged in the forbidden sight being presented to him. As she turned her head towards him slowly, he was thoroughly surprised at that smug smile present on her face, and it became painfully obvious that she was taking pleasure in toying with him for her own entertainment. Jin tore his eyes away from her for once and for all, feeling frustrated that she played him for a fool and at himself for being so easily baited by her wicked tricks.

Jin had now mentally built an invisible brick wall between himself and the crafty seductress. Whatever game they were playing, he felt like he was consistently losing, and it didn't help that she seemed to take no pity on his cluelessness and inability to keep up. In the end, he was only torturing and teasing himself with the idea that he could lead a life of "normalcy". The harsh reality of his fate always crashed back in like a violent tidal wave to wash away any unrealistic fantasies he clung onto.

He sighed heavily. His now sullen eyes idly skimmed through the various faces of the audience members seated across the way, undoubtedly the faces of other big wigs who frivolously spent their funds on overpriced seats for overrated entertainment. His heart quickened its pace and his eyes narrowed dangerously as the face of a former associate entered his field of vision. There he sat, looking like a gluttonous pig, in a box seat area probably more expensive than theirs. If he recalled correctly, this was the same man who went from incessantly begging him not to sever his company's ties to the Mishima Group to relentlessly threatening him and speaking ill of him in the media whenever the opportunity presented itself to him, especially after he had heard that his company merged with G Corp. The emails, those threatening, hateful, and disgusting emails that plagued his inbox had undoubtedly come from that wretched old fart as well. His hand squeezed the velvet armrest of the chair until his knuckles whitened and he could almost feel his blood simmering to a boil as he glared hatefully at the man.

'I could have him killed…I have that power,' he thought maliciously as he slowly glanced at the assassin by his side. When she wasn't using her energy to cruelly tease him, she was quite the handy tool to dispatch his enemies. 'One order, and I can have him wiped from existence…just one order.'

He silently seethed as the murderous thoughts tempted him to teeter into the dark side, and he continuously kept his prey in his sights like a bloodthirsty animal. It was the Devil's influence consuming him, goading him to unleash his fury, and everyday day it become more difficult for him to resist. He was suddenly yanked from his dark thoughts when a warm, smooth hand slid over his and gently clasped it. He snapped his eyes towards her with anger still possessing them until her calm, blue gaze gradually reduced his flaring temper. Her lips slowly mouthed out the word "relax" as she kept her hand perched over his.

Nina looked at him, genuinely concerned about the noticeable shift in his body language. He wasn't aware of it, but whenever they were together she always monitored his behavior, but she was just significantly more adept at being discreet about her secret voyeurism than he was. Besides, after the revelation of his secret to her, she always searched for signs that indicated when something wasn't right with him for her own safety as well. He seemed extremely tense and agitated as he stared intently in one direction, and she grew curious and alarmed. She attempted to scan the crowd to pinpoint the object that provoked his unbridled rage yet was unable to find what or who had set him off. She looked at him expectantly, hoping he would fill her in, but he just silently stared at her in a mysterious fashion with an expression on his face that she couldn't quite decipher. 'Jin… what's going on with you?' she wondered but decided to chalk it up as yet another oddity about her employer.

A strange combination of emotions overwhelmed him at the moment. He was still slightly angry yet relieved and a little grateful for her presence, even if she was the cause of many conflicting and confusing emotions within him that left him feeling frustrated. Too many thoughts rushed through his mind, but luckily the thunderous applause that erupted from the audience snapped him away from his crowded headspace and offered him a cathartic feeling that the opera performance was finally over. Jin searched the crowd again to find his pathetic nemesis and was nearly surprised when the man and his partner had spotted him as well, staring back at him for a brief moment before rising from his seat and leaving, but he brushed it off and decided to let go of his anger. He wasn't worth it.

"Jin, are you okay?" she finally verbalized now that the silence ban was lifted. His only response was him lightly squeezing her hand within his.

No words were needed at the moment. He felt better now, and strangely at ease knowing that he was still capable of reining in his temper when needed. He looked over to the blonde in relief with a single nod. Now, all he wanted to do was leave and head back home to get some well needed rest. He noticed yet another pair of eyes on them and saw that the Rochefort girl had been quietly glaring at him with a look of consternation. He had forgotten all about them temporarily and was almost annoyed again by the reminder of their presence. He reluctantly released his bodyguard's hand and stood up as well, they were all eager to exit the seating area, and he was ready to finalize his negotiations with his business associate.

* * *

The night had been smooth sailing for her thus far, but her employer's latest request had placed her in an unfavorable predicament that she had been trying to avoid all night. In spite of her efforts to dodge the situation, there she sat on the large, red velvet sofa in the main parlor of the opera hall with the mopey, young socialite sitting across from her. The boys were discussing business, and they were left alone to "make nice" with each other. Neither of them had uttered a word thus far, and frankly, she preferred to keep it that way.

Nina sat with her legs crossed as she calmly scanned the room with her eyes. The crowd was more sparse than it was before the performance, but a good amount of patrons still lingered after the show to socialize and mingle with other guests. That familiar crop of silver hair caught her attention again, and she noticed that he seemed to be leaving with his date, a pretty woman with shoulder length brown hair, latched onto his arm. It was yet another woman he flaunted around and wined and dined, and undoubtedly one with connections and information of interest to him. His eyes caught hers momentarily, and he winked at her with a quick charming smile before exiting through the doors. Nina rolled her eyes with a slight shake of her head as her former acquaintance finally left. Despite his coy act, she would remind herself to inform Jin about her suspicions. Her eyes then darted over to the two men across the room in a corner, discussing business. From what she could tell from afar, it appeared that the older man was prattling continuously while Jin, as usual, seemed bored and aloof throughout the duration of the conversation.

'He's being much nicer than he usually is, but dragging this on any further will only build up the poor old man's hopes,' she thought with a small shake of her head. Her thoughts were broken when a low, muffled sob erupted from the young girl across from her. Naturally, she turned her head to observe her but said nothing. It seemed that she, too, had been watching her father bare his soul to her employer.

"It's not right…" the distressed blonde girl choked out between her small sobs. The tears that welled in her eyes began slipping down over her rosy cheeks. She quickly wiped away her tears with her fingers and cradled her face in her palms for a moment to regain her composure.

The assassin still silently studied the Rochefort girl with a visible look of indifference, yet the inner machinations of her mind were working to generate an appropriate response to the scenario. 'Well, this is unexpected…what does she think crying will accomplish?' she wondered. She was never great at consoling, mending broken spirits, or coddling the weak. Although she had gotten a little better, thanks to her time with Jin, her attempts were still clumsy at best.

After the first wave of her pain was released, the blonde girl gathered up her nerves again and continued gazing at her father and that _demon_ across the room. "My father…he's a good man, he's never intentionally sought out to hurt people and abuse his power," she sniffled with bitterness in her tone as she watched her father's body language gradually deteriorate from composed to nerve-wracked and desperate. "Seeing him this way…it's not right..." Her already small voice became swallowed further by despair.

Her aloof gaze returned to the object of the sullen blonde's interest and she watched poor Mr. Rochefort, nearly on bended knee, desperately pleading with Jin to take pity on him, but she could read her employer's body language as he calmly rejected the man's offer with a calmly raised palm before rising from the chair. Surely, it must've pained the girl to see her father behaving so obsequiously and breaking his pride before anyone, especially to a man like Jin Kazama.

The tears and sobbing didn't move her, but a small tickled nerve forced the cold hearted assassin to empathize with her. She, too, was once a daddy's girl, and seeing the man you regarded as your hero reduced to a groveling weakling had to be undoubtedly embarrassing and soul crushing. She lowered her eyes briefly as she tried to prevent memories of her own father from flooding her mind, washing over her thoughts with feelings of grief and regret. Nina couldn't deny that she'd be heartbroken if it were her father, but despite that, it was only business, and takeovers were a common occurrence. She sighed but never took her eyes off Jin as he and Rochefort slowly approached them.

"Business is business, so it's nothing personal, it's just the ugly underbelly of the business world that's merciless and unpredictable for all of its players," she spoke calmly. "Be there for him, he's going to need you now more than ever." She didn't understand why she told her this since she knew her words were meaningless to change the outcome of their situation, but it was the only thing she could say at the moment to remotely _console_ the girl. However, her own ideologies of pragmatism prevented her from sugar-coating the truth, even for a naïve, bright eyed girl like her.

The girl stared at the apathetic woman with her glossy, reddened eyes with a strong look of condemnation. "What would you know?! You probably defend and believe everything he tells you," she accused vehemently with her innocently angry eyes. "You're just his paid escort!"

Nina closed her eyes briefly with a faint smirk as she swam in the sweet venom of the young girl's words. She couldn't contest that. She was indeed Jin's escort, of course not in the sense the media spun it due to Anna's clever play on words, and she was being paid, handsomely. Hell, when she wasn't feeling argumentative, Jin could tell her that the moon was shining at high noon and she wouldn't disagree as long as it pleased him. Regrettably, their heart-warming conversation finally came to a close as their respective male partners finally returned.

"We're leaving," was all Jin muttered as he walked past her slowly, he was exhausted and mentally drained from his negotiations. He even lacked the necessary energy to properly bid them adieu and thank them for the lovely evening, but he knew she'd cover him in that department.

With her best tight-lipped, polite smile, Nina respectfully closed the evening out with their guests. "Thank you both for the lovely evening. Your hospitality won't be forgotten. Please take care," she spoke evenly and calmly despite the tension amidst them. The old man bowed to her respectfully in spite of his disheartened demeanor while the girl curtsied, begrudgingly. It was over, and there was nothing she could do, so she left and ignored any feelings of sympathy for them trying to scratch the surface of her ice encased heart.

* * *

End of Chapter 20!

 **So...remember, next chapter will change this story's rating to M.**

It's not going to be anything too wild, but I just want to comply with the rating rules. Fun Fact: I originally uploaded this story under a M rating, but after reviewing it, I didn't really feel that it warranted a M rating despite some adult themes and language. See you next chapter! R&R!:)


	21. Aria: The Siren's Song

Hello again everyone! I'm back with another chapter! I know my updates aren't as frequent as they were in the past, but my schedule is very demanding lately. I'm still writing, it's just probably going to be more time in between updates. I'm still very thankful for everyone's reviews and continued interest in this story despite the wait. Here's chapter 21...enjoy! ;)

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.**

* * *

The duo walked across the main grounds of the opera house and back towards the main street in silence. It had been a long, trying evening and there was nothing that he desired more than returning to his quarters and lulling himself to sleep with a glass of whiskey. The night had gone pretty much the way he'd predicted it would with the final outcome being exactly what he'd mentally instructed himself to do, but he didn't think it'd take such a heavy toll on his conscience. 'It had to be done… this is the way I have to be in order to get things done,' Jin convinced himself.

Nina watched her boss trudge across pavement in a slow lethargic manner, seemingly down in spirits after the evening. She wondered why he simply didn't just call the old man and inform him in a brief conversation over the phone what his final decision was regarding his company instead of agreeing to this long, drawn out evening at the opera. Seeing the old man crumble before him must've struck a nerve, and it only further proved to her that he wasn't the complete monster the world perceived him to be. "So, I take it that you're not happy about that final negotiation decision," she pointed out, stating the obvious just to break the silence.

"I don't want to talk about that," Jin replied flatly as he slowly walked to the curb where the limo should've been parked. "Damn it." He stuffed his hand into his pocket to pull out his phone to contact the driver.

Nina rolled her eyes slightly at his gruff response and figured that she'd have to gear up for an _interesting_ ride back to HQ. His sour attitude persisted as he chewed out the driver for parking the limo in another destination besides their original drop off location. After he ended the call, they both stood there in awkward silence as he folded his arms across his chest and she did the same. Bored with this after only a few seconds, Nina softly sighed, which was enough to command his eyes towards her despite his mood. She calmly stared into his eyes. "Well, did you at least enjoy the performance?" At this point, she was simply making attempts at conversation just to see how peeved he was, and he glared at her in a manner that suggested that he had a few choice words for her for even trying.

That was yet another question he had no interest in answering. His lips pursed a bit as he gazed at the blonde with mixed emotions. He figured that it was quite unfair for him to take out his frustrations on her and put an unnecessary damper on the remainder of their evening. Jin sighed heavily and cast his eyes downwards for a moment before reestablishing eye contact with her. "It was fine," he lied dryly, for the sole purpose of not adding any more negativity to the night.

The blonde felt a small smirk pulling at her lips in amusement as her natural urge to toy with him returned. "Is that so?" she questioned in a soft tone as she approached him slowly with a hand on her hip while slyly running her eyes over him from top to bottom. "Because you seemed distracted."

He inhaled deeply after her words struck him by surprise and tried his absolute best to mask the awkward look that briefly invaded his usually aloof expression. It seemed that she was back to her old tricks again and was well on the way to relentlessly teasing him for her own pleasure. Jin just silently stared at the blonde woman, debating whether or not to hold his tongue or retort. She calmly folded her arms across her chest, and unwillingly, his eyes failed to withhold their honor and restraint once again. It was that damned dress she was wearing, slowly but surely wearing down his willpower. He was no match for her.

Luckily for him, a limo pulling up to the curb down the street captured his attention and drew his eyes away from her temporarily. After inspecting the license, he realized that it still wasn't their ride. He sighed at the incompetence of the driver and pulled out his phone again to berate the driver once again until a slender hand fell upon his wrist. He looked at the woman as she calmly shook her head. Without a word, he returned the device to the pocket of his slacks. Again, they just stared at each other in silence, undoubtedly trying to read each other's minds or assess each other's moods.

"You look like you have something you say, so say it," the blonde demanded lightly in her usual cool tone. He was unusually quiet, which naturally meant his inner thoughts were running rampant without a proper outlet. As always, she would lend an ear to his problems, that is, if he was willing to talk.

It was true. He had a lot on his mind indeed, not just pertaining to this particular night. However, he would take this opportunity to steer this conversation in a more interesting direction since she was so curious about what plagued his thoughts. Jin narrowed his eyes slightly as he bored them into the sapphire gaze of his bodyguard. "Why did you kiss me?" he asked boldly with a straight face. He noticed the surprised blink of her eyes and the slight parting of her lips at his unexpected query before she quickly reset her face to its default nonchalant expression.

Her heart thumped a little quicker than normal as she was certainly taken aback by his question, but she wouldn't let that throw off her train of thought. Nina kept her eyes locked with his and found herself becoming amused with the seriousness held within them. "Do you really want to know?" she challenged with a flirty tone.

He was dead set on getting some sort of explanation from her about her actions. The feeling of frustration and confusion was killing him. "Yes, I do," he demanded. "Tell me."

Nina shrugged her shoulders with a careless little smirk. "Because I wanted to," she simply answered. "And besides that…you hesitated."

Jin lowered his eyes from hers for a moment as her answer sunk in. Was that true? Was he always missing his perfect window of opportunity with her? He wondered if he was cursed with having bad timing or forever holding himself back. He had no choice but to do so, and before he usually did anything, he had already calculated at least 99 percent of the different outcomes of his actions. At times when he was usually impulsive, the outcomes of those situations weren't so great. He longed to just let go sometimes, but there was so much at stake. He remained silent as the cogs in his head turned tirelessly to help him figure out his next course of action.

The blonde woman silently shook her head as her brooding boss deserted her as he retreated into his thoughts again, coping with another bout of analysis paralysis. Finally, their limousine pulled up to the curb after keeping them waiting for so long. After parking, the nervous driver immediately jumped out and looked as if he were going to feed them his useless excuses and apologies, but the assassin shot him an icy glare that froze his mouth shut and forced him back into the vehicle. Nina looked over to Jin and he once again seemed mentally present with a somber expression.

She placed a gentle hand on his arm with another small sigh. "You're overthinking everything," she told him in a low voice. "Let's go, it's getting late."

She didn't understand just how much he tortured himself with his thoughts alone on a daily basis. When it came to her, he overanalyzed everything. A fleeting moment to her lingered much longer in his mind. A suggestive look, a smile, a gentle caress, a flirtatious wave, or a simple conversation with her consumed his thoughts probably for far longer than it should have because of that very reason. He egressed from his jumbled thoughts at the sound of her opening the car door, and in a panicked, instantaneous move, he reached out and grabbed her arm. Still, he remained silent as she turned to face him with curious eyes.

"Say something," she urged as she was growing slightly impatient with his silence and hesitation. She didn't understand why he seemed so conflicted and nervous tonight.

He still held onto her arm gently as he searched his clouded mind for the right words to say, anything to say to her. Finally, something he had been holding back all night reached the forefront of his thoughts and exited from his mouth. "You…look really beautiful tonight," he said with a detectable tone of nervousness. He tensed a little when the blonde stared at him with bit of confusion before a little smile decorated her lips. Had he hit the word lottery jackpot by finally speaking his mind?

It was an oddly timed compliment but somewhat endearing to hear. Nina approached him a little closer and was further surprised when his bold hand slowly lifted to her face to brush away the tendrils of hair from her face as he caressed her cheek. Flattery was never her weakness, but there was something about Jin's innocent efforts that amused her. She wanted to see what more was he capable of this evening. She remained silent as she continued to gaze at him with interest.

Jin observed the way she looked at him and figured that she was giving him the green light to further his advances; his window of opportunity was fully open. Once again, he shut off his troubled, bothersome thoughts and enjoyed letting things take their course. He closed his eyes and slowly leaned down to her face. He was so absorbed with the thought of feeling her lips against his again that the fear of possible onlookers didn't bother him, he even ignored the rapid succession of footsteps headed their way. Before he could react, the woman before him was already doing what she did best. He heard the sound of her heels clicking against the concrete as she speedily took off towards his attacker.

In a series of intricately precise and well timed moves, the blonde assassin launched a swift forward hand spring kick that quickly disarmed the man of his handgun. Shortly after, she spun around and grabbed his arm and performed a quick grappling technique that rendered the assailant into a painful submission hold with his arm twisted behind his back at an odd angle. He cried out in agony, but that only motivated her to silence his screams. Her other arm tightly wrapped around the man's neck, crushing the air from his lungs, slowly weakening his will and ability to fight back. It didn't take long before the man went as limp as a rag doll, most likely from the prolonged deprivation of air into his lungs. The blonde finally released him and watched as he fell face forward onto the hard pavement with a thud. She stood to her height and looked to her employer. "Someone you know?" she asked casually as she smoothed out the material of her dress.

Jin had been so captivated by her deadly, seductive performance that he barely had a normal response to the hitman's failed assassination attempt on him. He snapped out of his daze and calmly glared down at the fool lying seemingly lifelessly on the ground.

Suddenly, the limousine that was parked down the street quickly maneuvered an illegal U-turn and screeched down the street in the opposite direction in haste. They both silently observed this, and he slowly processed this event and wondered who the hit could have possibly been ordered by. Seeing that cowardly retreat, he realized that it couldn't have been none other than that spineless, old fool from earlier. He smirked to himself, not feeling particularly upset about his decision to let the man live earlier and realizing that it was beneath him to prey on weaklings. His eyes slowly returned to the man on the ground. "Is he dead?" he asked with disinterest.

"No, but that can be arranged," Nina replied as she picked up the man's discarded handgun and hovered over him before using her stiletto shoe to kick him over to get a better look at his face. "There's a silencer attached, so it wouldn't cause too much commotion."

"Leave him…he's not worth it," he ordered calmly. It would be a waste of her talents to exterminate such a lowly buffoon; he was a joke. The most upsetting thing was that the useless grunt rudely interrupted them, but at least he got to witness the most entertaining performance he had seen all night.

Secretly, she felt that he was being far too lenient on his enemies, but an order was an order. She shrugged at his decision, and causally strode over to the vehicle as he stood near the open door, waiting for her to get in. She skimmed over him quickly to survey him. "Are you okay?" she asked, just out of routine. He seemed strangely entertained rather than shaken by the ordeal; however, she didn't expect a man like him to fear much. "Was that entertaining enough for you, Kazama?"

He simply smirked in response. He couldn't deny the fact that watching her in action was very amusing and entertaining, and also roused another strange feeling within him that he couldn't ignore. She had such a strange lure that most other women didn't possess, and he now realized that he had fallen victim to it over time. Wordlessly, he motioned his head for her to enter the limo, they had been standing in the cold long enough.

Once inside, they quietly situated themselves to get comfortable. Jin removed his long trench coat and tossed it aside since the car was adequately heated. He sunk into the comfortable leather seat and leaned his head against the back of it with a heavy sigh. It had been a long night, but he survived it all. He expected the threat levels to his safety to be much higher, but perhaps word of mouth had gotten around that his paid _escort_ was no ordinary woman. He lifted his head slowly and he quietly observed the blonde as she pensively gazed out of the window with her hands clasped in her lap. If he recalled correctly, they still had some unfinished business to attend to. As if she felt his eyes slipping over her form, she slowly turned her head towards him, boring those cool blue eyes into his with a coy, lustful glint dancing within them that didn't go unnoticed by him.

The ride was comfortably quiet, the motion of the vehicle coasting down the road was calming and relaxing. She didn't know what was going on with him tonight, but he seemed greatly conflicted, but she couldn't blame him. That look that she had observed in his eyes throughout the evening, she had seen it many times from many a man. She admitted that it was fun playing their little games with each other, but with every action it became painfully evident that she was playing with fire, and he was treading onto dangerously thin ice. As cold blooded as she was, she was sometimes reminded that she was a hot blooded woman like any other with particular needs, but she had trained herself over the years not to let such impulses deter her from making smart and rational decisions. This foolish game they were playing was getting more challenging and risky as the days passed. Despite her rational thought processes practically begging her to look away from him, she willingly allowed herself to be drawn in by the hypnotic, almond eyes of the man sitting next to her.

He was constantly teetering on the threshold between his conflicting thoughts, and now he had grown tired of making cowardly and safe choices. If his end was near, then for once in a long time, he wanted to live. He slowly held his hand out to her, staring intently into her eyes as if he were silently asking her to make a challenging decision with him. He said nothing and only waited. When she crossed her legs towards him, once again gifting him with the glorious sight of her smooth, creamy legs, he briefly gawked at them before returning his eyes to hers. There was something mischievous and seductive about the way she leered at him that sent a shiver down his spine.

She slowly caressed her hand down the length of her leg down to her ankle before she idly began unbuckling the strap on her shoe, and a soft thud followed once the heel fell free from her foot and hit the carpeted floor of the limo. She repeated the process with the other shoe before reconnecting her eyes to his. It was then that she slowly reached for his hand with a flicker of lust in her crystalline blue eyes that beckoned him to take things further.

He swore he could feel a spark ignite when their hands touched. A flame was burning inside of him, and now he could finally feel his restrained and restricted desires raging within, begging to run wild. Before things could go any further, he pressed a button on the side panel to lower the privacy screen between them and the driver.

"Take the scenic route," he ordered in a calm but stern tone. "Music would be nice as well."

"Yes, sir!" the driver responded quickly, eager to please him to make up for his tardiness earlier. "Any requests?"

Jin gazed into the eyes of the blonde woman now sitting closely beside him with a smirk and replied, "Opera is fine." With that he pressed the button again to close the window to reclaim their privacy. The music began playing and was reminiscent of the pieces that played during the performance, but right now the music was the furthest thing from his mind. It didn't take long for him to make the first move. His palm once again fully caressed her soft cheek, and shortly after his eager lips quickly claimed hers as if he had been desperately deprived of them for far too long. For once, he finally had her in his clutches with hopefully no more interruptions, mental or physical, to douse out their fire.

He was full of surprises, many of which had caught her off guard, but she couldn't deny that she was thoroughly impressed with his ability to take the initiative. She felt herself warming up immensely as his lips pressed into hers, enjoying the greedy need of his kisses threatening to steal the air from her lungs. She had no idea that this intense passion hid beneath the surface of his cold, aloof exterior. She could feel her own excitement climbing rapidly as their hot kisses caused her arousal to simmer. The flame of desire had been lit inside of her as well, but soon enough she could feel the voracious sexual appetite she kept caged away for several years impatiently trying to claw its way out to lay claim to a new victim. She had been tame for far too long.

Their lips separated briefly, and they both breathed heavily, heaving in breathlessness while they desperately tried to fill their lungs with air. The music filled their ears, and the soft singing of the songstress calmed them during their brief intermission. Jin yearned for the rejoining of their lips after he felt that they'd both had a sufficient amount of time to recover from the first round. In a sudden move that he wasn't prepared for, the blonde bombshell gracefully slid her bare leg over his lap and began straddling him casually as if she had no fear in taking things to the next level. His heart began thumping wildly with sexual excitement that inevitably forced other parts of his body to react to her lower body pushing against his groin.

As if she could sense this, a small, wicked small formed on her peach lips as she gently clasped his face between the soft palms of her hands. She slowly tilted his head back until it was resting against the back of the seat. The usual coldness of her blue eyes had now been possessed with a fiery passion that he had found to be dangerously sexy and even slightly intimidating. Her fingers slowly traced along the curvature of his jawline as if she were slowly studying his features a like it was the first time she had truly looked at him. Her fingers then found their way to his neatly tied bowtie before she unfurled it with a single tug. They then made their way down to the buttons of his shirt and undid them effortlessly. The shirt seemed so constricting on him all night, so she decided to help him out of the uncomfortable confines of his formal attire. Feeling more comfortable with their newfound situation, he boldly allowed his anxious hands to slowly glide over the slippery material of her dress until they nestled onto the curve of her waist just as he had done earlier.

He was completely mesmerized by her actions and wondered what else she had in store for him. Admittedly, he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep up with her and it wouldn't be long until she seized a more dominant position, but he felt more comfortable with her taking the lead. His light brown eyes stared into the depths of the deep cerulean pools of her eyes, allowing himself to be fully submerged by her seduction. Finally, she rejoined her lips with his, allowing her moist lips to softly tease his. Little jolts of pleasure shot throughout his body as she playfully nipped his bottom lip, which was another surprise from her that drove him crazy. The siren's kiss slowly began drowning him in madness, and like a lovelorn fool, he began to sink further with reckless abandon. Her fingers combed into his thick, raven locks as she further deepened the kiss, languidly and gently massaging her tongue against his. He tightened his grasp on her waist and a deep groan emerged from him that was muffled by their lips.

Nina parted from him again with a deep exhale pushing through her lips. She looked down at him and he seemed to be in a lustful daze due to the glazed over look in his eyes and the increased throbbing in his chest. She felt the dampness of her skin increasing since they were enclosed in the close confines of the vehicle and he, too, was now perspiring lightly from their activities. Her hand idly brushed away a dark tendril of hair that clung to his face. So far, he had surprised her by hanging in there, but his reservations to be even more daring left her feeling slightly frustrated. His hands, they had so much potential for greatness, yet they remained settled on her waist like two inexperienced explorers who had just set foot into a brave new world but were too frightened to explore the uncharted territory before them. With a soft sigh, she reached behind her neck and undid the clasp holding the halter of her dress together. She also removed the pins from her swirled bun, and like magic her hair unraveled and cascaded over her shoulders in loose waves. She could see his eyes stretch open a bit from her actions and he tensed up slightly with a deep inhale. The satin material slipped down her bare shoulders and she stared at him enticingly, coaxing him to be a bit more brave as he gawked at her nearly nude body.

Once the material of her dress had completely slid down to her waist, he nearly went into shock as he silently ogled at her full, ample breasts. There was a deafening pounding in his ears as his heart rushed blood to every part of his body but his brain. Everything about the sight of her was absolutely breathtaking, yet he felt himself cowering slightly before her beauty. Without warning, she calmly seized his hands within hers and guided them upwards with a sexy smirk. He resisted a bit, but like any hormone driven male, he didn't fight against it too hard. She gently smoothed his palms over her soft, supple breasts and kept them in place as she looked into his eyes wantonly as she bit her lip softly from the pleasure from his touch. Jin was wholly unprepared and nervous about everything he was doing and embarrassed about his inexperience with things in the erotic realm, but he was very eager to learn. When she cradled his cheek with her palm with a small smile and placed a few pecks on his lips, he began to feel a little more confident in his exploration of her body.

A small, gasping moan escaped from her lips as his mouth covered her breasts with kisses as he suckled them while his hands gently squeezed and caressed them. Another soft, panting moan erupted from her due to his actions, causing her to quiver slightly as she felt herself aching for more, much more. She was proud when he finally began being more assertive and trusting his natural instincts. No longer were his hands stalled on her waist, now they roamed freely and discovered and conquered the foreign grounds that lay before them. His hand had journeyed its way down to her bare thigh and began kneading its way upwards along her smooth, milky skin.

A look of marvel washed over his face as he watched her slowly tilt head back with a deep pleasurable moan that was masked by the symphony of the music resounding within the vehicle. Her hips softly rocked into his, causing great friction between them as the constriction already within his trousers began to feel even tighter. He felt her hands gliding down his bare, muscular abdomen with her manicured nails biting into his skin slightly. Jin became slightly anxious as she began fumbling with the buckle on his slacks, fearing to take that final plunge. His hand instinctively landed on top of hers to halt her actions as he breathed deeply with his eyes closed.

Again, he felt her comforting palms resting on his face and he opened his eyes to greet the concerned eyes of the woman in front of him. It was as if she were silently communicating with him to calm his nerves while also giving him the choice to either continue or fully stop altogether. He definitely didn't want the latter option, he was throbbing for her so badly and he knew that she could feel his excitement for her as well. With a few more deep breaths, he was able to overcome his nerves and he glared intently into her eyes with a somewhat sly smirk appearing on his lips as he now assisted her with the removal of his buckle. Her lips collided with his again and he enveloped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him as he felt himself becoming extremely anxious for what was going to happen next.

Nina could feel him practically begging for her this point, and she herself couldn't wait any longer to advance to the next step. Wasting no more time, she unzipped the fly of his slacks and tugged them down. Her eyes met with his as she assisted in freeing him from his trousers. Seeing a look of pleasure sweep over his face as she gripped him within her palm was all the more arousing to her, and she couldn't deny that she was aching for him at near painful levels now. Her hand slipped between her thighs as she slowly shifted the black lace barrier that lie between them to the side.

Jin closed his eyes and lifted his hand to his mouth and lightly bit into the back of his knuckle to stifle a groan as he felt himself slowly being embraced by her warmth. He felt some of his basic brain functions ceasing to exist as he became wholly consumed by the indescribable pleasure of their bodies melding together. He opened his eyes to gaze at her again and became entranced by watching her in motion as she gripped her hands onto his shoulders and rhythmically rocked her hips into his sensually. With a complete disregard to their current setting, he couldn't control the series of deep pleasurable groans that began to fill the vehicle. Luckily, the music and the force of Nina's lips crushing into his helped to keep the noise to a minimum.

She parted from him with a faint smile decorating her lips as she beheld the dreamy, dazed look in his eyes. His hands kneaded and gripped tightly onto her hips, pushing himself deeper. A gasping moan pushed from her parted lips as she closed her eyes and tilted her head backwards, fully succumbing and reveling in the intense feeling of pleasure she gained from the sensation of him rocking and massaging within her. Their pace gradually increased as they both became further consumed with gratifying their needs, slowly ascending to the apex of their climb. She quivered lightly as his hands began to explore her body again with great confidence as if he had become familiarized with the terrain and secret places begging to be discovered. Her nails dug into the soft leather of the seat behind him as she gripped onto it harder as another deep moan emanated from her. She sunk her teeth into her bottom lip lightly in an attempt to subdue yet another moan from escaping her lips as his curious hands continued to caress her in all the right places.

The passing streetlights bathed over her at brief intervals and illuminated her form with an ethereal glow. Watching her was like gazing at a work of art in motion. Her sensual movements and arousing pants and moans worked in conjunction to bring him closer to his peak. His hands slipped over her hips, around her waist and up her back, gliding over her damp form with ease due to the sheen of sweat coating her skin. Not even in his wildest dreams would he have thought that he'd have the infamous ice queen melting beneath his touch. With another seductive twirl of her hips, she finally sent him over the edge, forcing him to bury his face within her bosom to stifle the loud groan erupting from him as his passion began to overflow. She tensed around him, and he could feel her trembling lightly as her heavy panting and loud moaning increased. Hopefully, even with the crescendo of the music, only his ears were blessed by the sensuous sounds of her climatic release.

It had been such a long, long time since she had allowed herself to surrender to such pleasure. Even after her orgasm slowly subsided, she still couldn't stop shaking from the experience. Their bodies heaved together breathlessly as they tried to reclaim their breath in silence as they began the descent from their peak. His muscular arms encircled around her and pulled her in closely for a tight embrace. Another shiver shot throughout her already trembling body as she felt his lips softly caressing against her neck, teasing and tasting her damp skin with the tip of his tongue. Tiredly, she rested her head against his shoulder and listened to the soft symphony playing in the background along with the sound of Jin breathing against her ear as he now softly nibbled her earlobe.

Nothing else mattered in this moment. He felt completely at ease and comforted, therefore he completely relished in his impulsive behavior and enjoyed their current predicament. The smooth ride down the deserted road, her soft, warm body pressed against his, the scent of her sweet perfume mixed with her sweat, and the music nearly lulled him to sleep and lured him into a sense of security. A few moments passed before he felt the blonde lift her head from his shoulder and slowly pull away from him. He slowly navigated his lips to hers and coerced them into a gentle, languid kiss in an attempt to prolong the intimacy between them. She returned the kiss in the same manner, but it wasn't long before she stopped and pulled away from him once again. Her blue eyes finally met with his, and he was slightly miffed by her behavior.

"We should stop," she whispered to him in a serious tone.

It was the first thing she spoke to him since they entered the vehicle, but it wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear at the moment. "Why?" he breathed out, feeling opposed to that decision.

She idly smoothed away his dark bang from his damp face and cupped his cheek with a small smirk. "Because we're almost back," she responded.

Perhaps it was the condensation on the windows or just his own mind being trapped in their little temporary sanctuary, but he was completely oblivious about what was happening in the real world. Before he could further protest, she casually moved away and separated from him and returned to her original seat. Still dazed, he simply watched as she lifted her blonde tresses away from her shoulders and reattached the halter of her dress around her neck, robbing him of the view of her beautiful body. She then slowly leaned down to retrieve her heels from the floor of the limo and clasped them back on as well. He figured that he'd follow her lead and make himself presentable as well. Try as they might, they'd never look as immaculate as they did when they stepped into the limo; his tie would never be perfectly looped, and her hair wouldn't be so perfectly swirled into a neat bun.

The limo finally arrived at the front gates of the Central Tower, and after receiving clearance from the gate sentry, they pulled in and drove down the ramp to gain access to the garage. It was Jin's preferred way of entering and exiting the facility to deter not only potential assassination attempts but the pesky media puppets as well. Once the limo parked, the driver remained in the vehicle and gave them all the time they desired to exit.

The two occupants remained silent, quietly gathering their nerve and composure to exit the vehicle. The moment they exited from the vehicle, things would automatically revert back to the way they were, the way it was always intended to be. He'd return to spending his days lamenting about forwarding his plans, and she'd build her ice wall back up and drown herself in her duties, undoubtedly going as far as repressing all memory of the night from her mind. Nonetheless, he'd hold onto the memory until his fated end.

Nina glanced over to the man beside her briefly with surprisingly gentle eyes and a wire thin smile before reluctantly making her exit from the vehicle. She held her composure up pretty well despite being swarmed with conflicting thoughts about the evening she shared with her employer. It was unlike her to do such a thing, but there was no use in fretting and regretting over her impulsive behavior. It was done.

He sighed heavily as the car door closed and shut his eyes briefly. He, too, displayed a certain degree of hesitation to leave the strange comfort of the backseat of the limo. Unfortunately, it was time to return to reality.

* * *

End of chapter 21! Next chapter coming soon...

I wanted to keep things somewhere in between tame and raunchy...taunchy without going overboard, but I bumped the rating just in case. Besides, who knows what might happen in the future. ;) R&R!


	22. Lingering Memories

Happy Holidays everyone! I know it's been soo long since my last update, but now that my schedule is lighter I'll be able to focus on writing again! I finally got my writing mojo back and I'm looking forward to pumping out more chapters! Thanks again for your patience as reviews! :)

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.**

* * *

As usual, the morning was filled with a long stream of boring meetings in which she was forced to be an unwilling participant. They were still in the process of rebuilding the public's faith in them, or in other words pulling all the stops to keep their funding from other companies on a steep upward incline. Also, their recent string of mishaps weren't necessarily working in their favor. With Bruce on temporary leave and her latest public embarrassment, which she was sure was without a doubt tied to the blonde bitch, they decided to lay low for a awhile. She wasn't too upset with this decision since it gave her more time to reflect on some things and plan ahead for others.

The bored brunette stifled a yawn with her hand as she sat quietly at the large boardroom table amongst the other affluent businessmen as they discussed their concerns with Kazuya. They'd go back and forth with him on certain issues, but in the long run his threatening, malicious eyes and aura pretty much forced them to concede with his wishes. Nothing of interest was said, save for one older business associate of his heatedly expressing his disdain for Jin Kazama after an assassination attempt was quickly thwarted. From the details he gave about the incident, it seemed that the blonde bitch had struck once again. 'The boy and his faithful guard bitch have been quite busy lately…Nina, you're such a nuisance,' she thought to herself with a visible frown on her ruby lips.

The meeting adjourned a few minutes later with the end result turning out in Kazuya's favor. Not only had he been busy with repairing his business relationships, but he had been working diligently to reform and reorganize his military forces while Bruce was in recovery. Despite that, he had done his best to keep his cool to prevent himself from doing anything irrational. Once the rest of the men cleared out from the boardroom, he found himself left alone in the company of his partner. Actually, he didn't quite understand how to peg her within his organization, for she was neither his personal bodyguard or secretary; he didn't need either. It wasn't until late that he began to ponder these things and wonder what her true role was on his team. It was true that she was adept in helping him devise dastardly schemes to foil his son's plans, but they usually only produced short term results that required them to go back to the drawing board. He glared at her from across the long table in silence with his ominous red eye focused in on the woman in the scarlet suit.

Anna felt the weight of his gaze on her and she calmly shifted in the large leather chair somewhat nervously to cross her fishnet clad legs. He had been in a bad mood lately, and it was evident through their occasional steamy run ins becoming quite sparse and chilly lately. However, she'd work hard to win back his favor since she had witnessed firsthand that no one faired well on his bad side. "A penny for your thoughts, boss?" she asked in her usual playful, flirtatious tone to lighten the mood.

He continued to stare at her with a scowl pulling at his lips. "Your sister…" he paused as he noted the way her eyes narrowed at the mere mention of her sibling. He wanted her to harbor her so called hatred and put it to good use. "She's proven to be quite troublesome…I expect you to take care of her," he spoke tersely with a serious expression.

She smirked at his request. It was inevitable that their paths would eventually cross in their field of work, but it was the sole reason that she so willingly joined Kazuya's ranks. Sure she had her fun pulling strings from behind the scenes to get the job done, but it was time for her to take center stage. Besides, she wouldn't mind it at all if that meant that she could pay her dear sister back for publicly humiliating her at their last press conference. She had worn her best outfit with her favorite heels, yet instead of a new cover story featuring her interview, the articles mainly focused on that damned "assassination attempt" fiasco. Also, she supposed that she'd pick up where Bruce left off and avenge the soldiers they lost in the past. "It's in the bag, I've been planning our reunion for quite a while," she informed him with a mischievous smirk. "After I'm done with her, she'll no longer pose any threat to our plans."

Her words meant nothing to him, he wanted to see results. His dear son's bodyguard had gotten off too easily and slipped through their fingers one too many times. Just as he promised, he'd make her regret not joining his ranks when he presented the opportunity to her. He still didn't understand why Anna just wouldn't kill her and be done with it. Even when she had assisted him all those years back, it took her forever to actually work up the nerve to finally stop her sister, in fact, she had nearly waited until he was staring down the barrel of the assassin's gun before she sprang into action. Their strange rivalry was interesting at times, but it was time for Anna to be serious and put her older sibling down, permanently. With nothing else to discuss with the woman, Kazuya rose from his seat and coldly strode past her before exiting the boardroom, leaving the brunette alone with her thoughts.

Once she heard the door click as it closed, she released a sigh of relief. Her boss wasn't an easy man to cope with when he was in a foul mood, but as usual she would hold it together and perform her duties. She sat back in the chair and idly tapped her nails against the hard, shiny surface of the table as she attempted to conjure up a few schemes to exact her revenge on her sister. 'Oh, Nina, it took you long enough to finally react, but now that I have your attention there's no way you can avoid me now,' she thought with some satisfaction as a wicked smile appeared on her face.

She had been intentionally poking and prodding at her sister's soft spots not because she was insensitive, but because she wanted her words to truly be heard by her coldly dismissive and aloof older sibling. She knew she hated being confronted by her past, especially with any memories they spent together during her _recovery_ phase, but it was high time that she stopped ignoring her. Now that she was at the perfect level of pissed off, they'd have one hell of a time once they came face to face. It was the only choice she had in order to force Nina to open up and confront the many underlying issues in their relationship. If she did nothing, she'd go on putting on her little façade by pretending that the past was irrelevant to her or that she was completely oblivious about the things she had said or done.

Whether she liked it or not, she'd reach down into that dark void within her sister's memory and force her to remember who she truly was. It was a pity that they couldn't sit down over a nice cocktail and hash out their problems like normal siblings, but then again, that would be absolutely boring. She longed for the days when her sister's fire burned bright, and even with their frayed relationship back then, they were still capable of having fun and gained great fulfillment in trying to best each other on the battlefield. Ever since she suffered from amnesia, things were never the same. She was so cold and much more apathetic than she could ever remember her being throughout their life. Even their last battle lacked the passion it used to possess, which made her defeat to her older sister all the more unsatisfying and embarrassing since she wasn't even sure if it was _real_ Nina who bested her in combat.

She had tried so hard to rebuild her sister to her former glory, with a few modifications here and there of course, but it was all to no avail. Anna sighed and attempted to dismiss those old thoughts from deterring her from her mission. 'Nina…I know that you pretended to be incapable of recovering your old memories…you chose to run from your past like a coward, but I'll never let you forget who you really are,' she thought deviously as she sat in silence in the deserted boardroom.

* * *

Normally plagued with insidious thoughts and voices he had no rein over, he would usually find it exceedingly difficult to sleep peacefully with unmolested thoughts. However, for the first time since he could remember, he slept like a log. His body felt well rested and less tense, and for some reason, he didn't completely dread waking up this morning. His usually stormy thoughts basked in a quiet calm, and the only thing that persisted was the disjointed yet vivid memories of the previous night. Various images kept flashing through his mind to the point where his thoughts were wholly consumed with them. Memories of the black, satin dress, the floral perfume, and peachy lips all swirled within his head like a cyclone, forcing him to not let a single detail from the evening slip from his thoughts.

The thumping in his chest quickened as his mind slowly recalled memories from the prior night and he took a deep breath before slowly opening his eyes. His blurred vision finally straightened through the slits of his eyes and were greeted with the sight of the bright neon numbers on his clock. It was almost ten o'clock; he overslept his normal waking time by three hours. Strangely, he didn't feel alarmed or anxious that he had missed something important, and if he did, he didn't care.

He closed his eyes once again, and instantly more flashbacks pervaded his thoughts with memories of that black satin dress falling to the floor and soft, creamy thighs caressing against his hips. The memory instinctively forced him to snap his eyes open and quickly turn over to face the bed space beside him. It was vacant, but why was he so expectant? He sighed heavily and slowly sat up in his bed whilst running his fingers through his tousled hair. A strange sensation crossed his senses; it was the phantom feeling of slender fingers slipping through his locks, gently tugging them as his head was forced down onto his pillow. Now, things were starting to make sense, and it most certainly clarified a few mysteries that were jogging his brain. For one, it explained why he woke up in the buff, and secondly, those fragmented memories started piecing themselves together to paint a clearer picture. Jin groaned as he cradled his face in his palm. 'Last night I…we…' his thoughts trailed off.

He remembered them parting ways for the evening after exiting the limousine, but he guessed they both didn't anticipate the long, awkward elevator ride in silence from the garage up to the residential floors. They were both trying their best to keep their eyes averted from each other to prevent any strange feelings from erupting in either of them. Despite this, there was an unexplainable calm over his nerves and his confidence was at an all time high. The closer they arrived to their stop, the more compelled he felt to act out on his desires. He didn't want the night to be over just yet, so when they arrived to her floor, one stop before his, his hand bravely reached out for her arm again and softly grasped it as she attempted to step out of the elevator. She faced him with a genuine look of surprise in her sapphire eyes, and he didn't utter a single word to her, he only pierced her gaze with his dark, smoldering eyes. Much to his surprise and relief, she stayed. The next stop was the penthouse floor, his private quarters.

Jin gazed over to the empty bed space longingly as those thoughts replayed through his mind. So much happened in such little time that it was difficult to process absolutely everything. He had so many unresolved questions and her absence only made him more confused. When and why did she leave? He supposed that she didn't want to be immediately confronted with issues concerning their _deed_ and retreated to the temporary safe haven of her own quarters before he awakened. Was she having regrets about her actions? Was she upset with him for some reason? The thought made him even more anxious about the overall aftermath of their night together. He had his concerns as well, but he wanted to take things one step at a time before jumping to any conclusions.

He finally got out of bed and stood up slowly. The plush carpeting was soft against his bare feet as he lazily roamed around his quarters in a listless daze, nude and confused. His clothes from the prior night were strewn across the floor in various places, and he decided to tidy up after himself in an attempt to maintain good housekeeping. With a sigh, he knelt down and picked up his silk dress shirt, and upon closer inspection, he noticed several buttons missing from the garment. He narrowed his eyes in confusion as he tried to recall the events that led to the destruction of his shirt.

If he recalled correctly, he had been on his best behavior as they arrived to his quarters. Once they entered, he silently watched as she admired his luxurious surroundings, and as she did so, he admired her look of awe as she took everything in. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before that dress had corrupted his obedience once again, and he swooped in on her like a hawk grabbing its prey. During their steamy kisses, her nimble fingers attempted to undo his buttons, but his patience was nonexistent as he assisted her by quickly and carelessly ripping the shirt open in haste. The clicking sound of his buttons colliding with various surfaces within his room echoed in his memory.

Jin's eyes caught the sight of a lone button on the carpet and picked it up and gazed at it with a small smirk appearing on his face. In retrospect, he thought himself to be quite rude for not giving her a proper tour of his quarters and supposed that if time allowed for it in the future, he'd definitely make it up to her. He sat down on the edge of his bed and entered his thoughts, reflecting on everything. It was like an out of body experience for him, and even though he was fully in control of his actions, he was still astonished and awestruck that he actually went through with it. His desires, he finally acted upon them without fear or compunction. Doing so made him feel more human and _normal_ than ever, and he actually felt more satisfied than he had ever been. For so long, he always punished himself for simply being a man and regarded such thoughts and emotions as impure, illogical, and irrelevant to him, but once _she_ managed to put a small breach in his once impregnable resolve, it eventually shattered over time.

Jin fell back onto his bed and stared lifelessly up at his ceiling as his thoughts swirled around like a cyclone, still consumed with thoughts of the previous night. He just couldn't shake those images and that unexplainable phantom feeling of her still surrounding him even in her absence. He quite enjoyed it when she pushed him back onto his bed with a mischievous smirk, and he had discovered that he had a fondness of such roughness from her. The weight of her body on top of his as she straddled him and rendered him a complete slave to her and the feel of her soft lips trailing kisses down his abdomen constantly pervaded his senses. His ears were once again blessed with her beautiful song, especially since they had free reign over their space with no prying ears. He still remembered her eyes, he liked how they were full of excitement and lust when she gave him her undivided attention as she gazed at his body in arousal. It was another boost in his confidence that caused him to hold nothing back as their bodies intertwined together.

He covered his face with his palm and exhaled heavily to cool himself down as he felt his temperature rising again. 'This has to be a dream…it all feels so surreal,' he thought to himself, still in a state of disbelief. It was going to be a long while before he could clear his mind from those carnal thoughts, so he decided to revel in them for a little longer before he would even attempt to move forward and properly prepare himself for the day.

He hoped that he'd be able to catch up with her later to discuss matters concerning this _situation._ Due to his inexperience with dealing women, he definitely didn't know what to expect from this situation or how it would be remotely possible for them to move forward. He always shied away or shunned the opposite sex, finding most interactions with them to be awkward or bothersome. His mother, she was his only example of womanhood, the epitome of womanhood in his eyes when he was a child, but once he left his quiet life behind and moved to the city to live with his grandfather, that all changed.

He was exposed to a plethora of different women ranging from shy and reserved to loud and abrasive, yet he still didn't quite understand them. He never had a father to talk to about these things, and he surely didn't speak of these things with his grandfather, who was always surly and strict when it came to his training and academics. Besides, his mind was always so consumed with revenge that nothing else mattered to him, and after the continued downward spiral of his life, he found it nearly impossible to find pleasure in the things most normal men would, he had no use for them.

So now, it was hard for him to grasp his own reasoning for his newfound curiosity, especially his interest in a woman like _her._ She was so unlike the woman he thought he'd be interested in, and definitely radically different from his only example of a woman, his mother. Nina was an enigma, a strange woman indeed. She was neither shy or reserved, but not loud or abrasive either. She wasn't particularly kind at times, but not necessarily unrelentingly mean; not modest, but definitely not overly exploitative; not annoying or silly, but not overly serious or humorless. She didn't wear her emotions on the surface, but she wasn't completely adverse to opening up when the time called for it. Overall, it was difficult to place her in a box with a singular label on it. Perhaps it was her strange push and pull nature that drew him in; her evasive, non-clingy behavior allowed him the chance to pursue at his own leisure but not in complete vain since she tended to be warm towards his advances at certain intervals. He learned from her that he preferred to hunt and give a good chase, a trait he wasn't aware that he possessed until now; challenging things always excited him and properly fed his ego if he conquered them.

His strange musings would have to be brushed aside for now. Despite his nervousness and reservations, he would have to seek out the woman that occupied his mind eventually. It would be an uncomfortable conversation for the both of them, but it was absolutely paramount and essential if they expected to proceed with their duties and keep their working relationship in tact. Until then, he supposed that he'd have to douse out the embers of his residual passion with an ice cold shower to jolt himself back to reality and out of his whimsical fantasies.

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End of chapter 22!

I wonder what Anna has in store for Nina, obviously nothing good. Poor Jin... he has no idea about how to deal with a woman like Nina, but I'm sure she's feeling just as conflicted as he is. We'll see...


	23. Haunting Memories

I hope everyone is having a good New Year so far! I'm back once again with a new chapter! Again, I apologize for the slow updates, but writing is somehow both relaxing yet tiring at times (lol), but I'm still going. As always, thanks for the reviews since they keep me motivated!:)

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.**

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This was something that she had grown accustomed to and had been trained to do since she was very young. It definitely wasn't out of the ordinary for her to run on very little sleep yet still wake up before the crack of dawn, and she had done just that. It would be an easy ordeal to tackle, that is, with a healthy supply of caffeine and a long laundry list of tasks to complete to keep her mind busy and free of _things_ she didn't deign recall. So, as a remedy, she allowed her mind to dwell on the few pleasant memories from her past that she had successfully thawed out post cryosleep.

Early mornings with her father were a treat, but they didn't come without physical or mental demands. He always expected so much from her, and her greatest fear was not living up to his expectations, so she pushed and endured any challenge he threw her way. At the tender age of eleven, she held a rifle in her small hands and accompanied him on her first hunting trip. On other mornings, they rose before dawn and he began training her, showing little to no mercy to her despite her smaller stature. It was then she realized how easily she bruised; her small hands and body always displayed any physical trauma she sustained during her early days of training her she always pushed through the pain. Poor Anna was always upset about their quality time together, but little did she know that some mornings she would have given anything to trade places with her.

Her sister's mornings with their mother were far more tame and less physically demanding. Anna would brag obnoxiously about how they woke up leisurely and prepared breakfast, baked and decorated cakes, and even went shopping in town. It was effective at making her slightly jealous at times, and she would long for the opportunity to oversleep in her warm bed instead of braving the frigid air of the early morning in the dead of winter, but she realized overtime that she much preferred the physical challenges she overcame to the mundane tasks of shopping and cooking. If her memory served her correctly, that was one of the many things that strained their relationship, but then again it could've been a myriad of other things that played a major role in the deterioration of their sisterly bond.

Nina sighed to herself as she took a brief trip down memory lane. At times, recalling old memories felt like digging in a deep freezer, and most of them were frostbitten but salvageable while others were destroyed beyond recognition and had to be tossed out. Those old memories felt comforting, like being enveloped in a thick, warm blanket on a cold night, but that feeling was very fleeting. She inhaled deeply and steadied her breath until she completely halted it. Her eyes narrowed as she focused them onto the flimsy sheet down the lane. Her gloved finger tightened against the trigger until a loud popping noise rang throughout the empty range. She finally exhaled as she surveyed her work. It was about time that she was able to hit the mark exactly where she wanted, her thoughts were in a frenzy and she had been firing with less accuracy than she normally would've with a clear head. Overall, she still wasn't happy with her performance, but she figured that she wouldn't be so hard on herself considering the day and _night_ she had.

This was definitely the last stop for her today, she could finally feel herself running out of steam despite her overall determination to complete as many tasks as she possibly could to keep herself busy. After she had woken up and swiftly retreated from his quarters mere moments before dawn, she returned to her own but found it extremely difficult to fall back asleep with those licentious thoughts parading around in her mind. They only served to tease her and spark up the previous feelings of pleasure she had enjoyed while also serving as a blunt reminder of the foolish blunder she allowed to happen. The blonde shook her head slowly with yet another disappointed sigh slipping from her lips.

All day she had been putting on a calm façade and feigning her composure as she tried to subdue those memories from invading her thoughts, but her succession rate was pretty low. While overseeing drills and recording artillery inventory, she felt her mind wandering and her skin began tingling as she still felt his hungry lips lingering almost everywhere on her body, covering her with his greedy kisses. When her mask almost completely slipped, there were rare moments that curious eyes of onlookers spotted her gently caressing her neck and softly nibbling her lips with a faraway, dreamy expression. Of course, her usual cold, deadpan expression returned when she realized that she was being observed and she barked orders that forced the stray gazers to immediately scram to perform their newly assigned duties. It was an ongoing struggle, but fortunately for her the day was coming to a close.

Nina tiredly walked over to one of the metal benches lining the wall and slumped down onto it. Luckily for her, the shooting range was empty and she was granted some privacy. However, from observing several drills throughout the day with the soldiers, it was more than evident that the lot of them should've been in there to improve their firing accuracy. Had she not been battling an inner turmoil within her own mind all day, she would've added that as a task to complete as well, but she was far too distracted to train anyone. A long, exhausted sigh escaped from her lips as she closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the solitude of the vacant room. She had been running from her thoughts all day, but now that she was alone, she finally gave in and allowed them to catch up to her.

She lifted her hand to her neck and idly caressed the areas that he had _marked_ that were luckily covered by the mock neck of her dark purple jumpsuit. Once he had gotten comfortable, she saw that he was quite eager to please her and willing to learn about the things that brought her pleasure. Besides covering those marks, it was difficult for her to carry on her charade and pretend that everything was normal despite feeling sore in awkward places that she couldn't recall ever feeling sore in before. This was the first time she had ever indulged in such activities since awakening from cryosleep, but she wondered if she had experience beforehand. Either way, she was completely thrown off kilter by the experience.

It was unfortunate that she couldn't blame her behavior on wine and spirits or anything else that would alter her judgement and explain her lack of inhibitions; there was nothing or no one she could blame but herself, especially since she willingly partook in an encore performance. It was so unlike her to behave in such a manner, but over time she allowed herself to entertain his amateur attempts of wooing her just to keep things interesting; however, she didn't expect him to be anywhere near successful at charming her to the point where she felt the uncontrollable compulsion to act out on her innermost desires. Somehow, he had melted through her impenetrable ice shield and awakened the remnants of her human emotions and whims that she had long abandoned once she realized that she was nothing more than a flesh and blood weapon for hire. It was the first time in a long time that she actually felt like a _normal_ human woman.

She couldn't attempt to deceive herself and deny the fact that she fully enjoyed the experience, and that in the moment it was quite liberating. At the moment, it relieved some of that strange tension building between them, but the complications and consequences that were soon to follow would be much more dire. She was mentally smacking herself all day and she blamed herself for being too relaxed and lenient about her usual set of rules and conditions when dealing with her clients, especially when it came to him. That first night, when he physically crossed that boundary with her on the helicopter, she should've rectified his behavior and made it abundantly clear that she wouldn't tolerate his actions, but she did nothing. In fact, she was even guilty of inviting and encouraging his advances, so once again, there was no scapegoat for her illogical behavior. Yet, despite her regrets, she undeniably enjoyed the evening.

Nina leaned her head back against the wall with her eyes still closed and smirked softly as she reflected on some memorable highlights from the prior evening. Jin was so bold and impetuous that she could barely predict what he would do next; he was full of surprises. Once her guard was down, and his window of opportunity was still wide open, she granted him permission to pull out all the stops to impress her. She thought that she had an untamed, voracious beast lying dormant within her, but he proved to be a force to be reckoned with. She was impressed with his eagerness in taking the lead, but she didn't allow him to get too ahead of himself. He made attempts to seize control over her and assert his power by forcefully pinning her down onto his bed after he flipped her over to force her into a more submissive position, but she was never fond of relinquishing her power over to anyone. Consequently, she won that battle and once again turned him into a vehicle for her pleasure. It felt great to let go of some of her inhibitions, but as usual, she loathed confronting the consequences for her reckless behavior.

'I really fucked up royally this time," she thought regrettably. 'This is only going to create a world of mess that neither of us need at the moment.' The blonde sighed again and attempted to banish those thoughts from her mind as she attempted to recharge a small bit of energy with a quick power nap. However, she heard the sound of the door opening, thus destroying the sweet solitude she once basked in. She breathed a sigh of annoyance as the heavy footsteps of the intruder echoed throughout the room. 'If this is who I think it is, I'm not hesitating to shoot this asshole in the face this time,' she thought angrily.

"Is this your new hideaway as well?" the voice asked. "I guess we all need one these days."

After recognizing the voice, she felt a tinge of relief, but she still preferred not to be bothered at this time. She lazily opened her eyes and glanced over to the man. "What is it this time, Eddy?" she asked in a short, unamused tone.

The tall Brazilian man blinked as he was a bit taken aback by her brusque response. She wasn't well known for being affable and approachable, but she usually wasn't so icy towards him. He chalked it up to the stress she must've been enduring working under Jin. He was cautious about proceeding forth with the conversation, so he remained silent and just quietly observed her.

She supposed that she was a bit too callous towards the one comrade she felt no ill will towards and decided to lighten up despite her moody disposition. She looked up at him and said, "Don't mind me, I just haven't been getting enough sleep with these crazy new hours I've been putting in to please 'your highness'." Taking a slight jab at their boss usually helped lighten the mood.

Eddy smirked at her remark and decided to dismiss her previous behavior, not that he would attempt to probe her any further and risk pushing her already shifty mood into the danger zone. From what he observed, she and Jin had a very peculiar dynamic. One minute they seemed to get along quite well like two kindred spirits, and other times it appeared as though they experienced a lot of friction and were purposely avoiding each other like complete strangers. Again, he'd have a instant death wish if he dared to question her about it; however, it was his duty to pass on the information he was receiving regarding the matter. "A few soldiers from the other bases have been ordered to report your whereabouts to Jin," Eddy informed.

Hearing his name uttered caused a nervous stir within her. 'Damn it…he couldn't leave me alone for just one day?' she thought, trying not to allow her stress levels soar again. Was Eddy here to narc on her? Against the stipulations cited in her contract, she once again failed to keep her line of communication open by intentionally keeping her cell off all day, and she was sure to suffer his wrath in some form or another. "Is that so?" she started with a smug look. "I'll get back with him when I have time…or when I feel like it." She kept up her cool front despite her heart racing abnormally at the thought of being confronted by Jin.

Eddy shook his head as he crossed his arms. She seemed to be quite cocky about dodging the repercussions for her actions, yet others would be shivering in their armor at the thought of the boss hunting them down. He had trouble getting in contact with his superior at times himself, so it was slightly frustrating to know that Jin actively pursued communication with her while ignoring and dismissing his inquiries about his ailing master. He was plagued with guilt over his involvement in Jin's destructive world domination plans and the deaths of thousands of innocent people indirectly caused by his actions, but his only motivation to endure this horror was the expectation that his master would be treated as per his agreement with Jin. The thought made him clench his fist by his side as he averted his dark, solemn eyes to the floor.

The blonde woman noticed the grave expression consuming her comrade's features and cast her eyes downwards briefly before looking up at him once again. She hated that she actually felt sorry for the man, and even more sorry that she could do absolutely nothing to remedy his predicament. She knew that he wanted to ask her to talk to Jin about it, but it wasn't her duty to play telephone between the two men. "Look, Eddy, if you want to talk to Jin about something, just do it. Make him listen and be direct," she advised. "I refuse to get involved in whatever business _deal_ you have with him."

He seemed surprised at her mentioning this since he hadn't discussed any information regarding this matter with her. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously and took a step forward. "You know something, don't you?" he asked accusingly. "What has he told you? Tell me!"

Nina said nothing and raised her palm to cease his badgering, interrogative questions. "Enough," she asserted calmly yet with a stern iciness in her tone to quickly silence his accusatory statements. "Again, take your concerns up with him, not me."

The Brazilian man inhaled and exhaled deeply in an attempt to quell his rising anger. She was right. There was no use in projecting his anger unto her, but somehow he was still beginning to feel distrustful of her and felt that she definitely knew more than she let on. After all, she was Jin's faithful right hand, and he felt that he was nothing more than an unqualified lackey foisted into a high ranking position he didn't earn. Once he calmed down, he glared at the smaller blonde woman with a bit of skepticism in his eyes. "I don't know who I can trust anymore," he confessed to her in a low voice.

Nina shook her head slowly. "If I were you, I'd trust no one," she warned him cryptically. She watched as he turned away from her and silently walked towards the door. She exhaled softly as the door closed, feeling strangely discontent by her unpleasant exchange with her colleague. 'Sometimes, I wish I didn't know half of the things about this madness we're engulfed in…it's definitely not helping me rest any easier,' she brooded. Her eyes were stinging from drowsiness at this point and the prolonged silence of the deserted gun range finally lulled her into a quiet slumber that her fatigued mind and body couldn't resist.

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 _The past few weeks were really rocky for them, and it only resulted in creating an even wider chasm in their already strained relationship. After her last episode, she was unwillingly sent back to the lab where they performed more useless, invasive tests on her that revealed nothing new about treating her condition. Despite her giving vivid descriptions about her experiences, the nightmares, strange whispering voices, and those terrible visions, the uncaring imbeciles clad in white coats did nothing to alleviate her suffering besides upping the dosage on her meds and even prescribing new pills to her already extensive regimen._

 _She was at a complete loss on how to move forward especially with such horrific, seemingly supernatural, things plaguing her life. That woman, her supposed sister, continuously brushed off her concerns dismissively, thus sparking several disagreements and arguments between them. Ever since her return from her last visit to the lab, she was more distant and distrustful of everyone; she usually locked herself in her room and slept an odd number of hours to abandon her reality. In those times of solitude, she allowed her tears to soak her pillow while quietly lamenting about the current disarray of her life. She could tell that she was never used to crying because she felt so ashamed and weak afterwards, but sobbing privately at least provided a well needed outlet for her bottled emotions. She just wanted her life to return to normal, even if her version of normality was radically different from the average person's, she still wanted it._

 _Even though they weren't currently speaking, the two women occupied the same space in the living room, but they were trapped in their own little worlds. The blonde woman sat Indian style in the recliner with her face buried in an old photo album while the younger brunette was splayed across the sofa watching some badly scripted, insipid soap drama on TV. They were just waiting until the minutes ticked away until it was late enough for them to retreat to bed. As directed by the dear old doctor, her sister had unpacked a lot of old family memorabilia from boxes she had shipped to them from their old family home overseas after it went on the market. They were filled with countless old trinkets from their past ranging from old photos, home movies, and records to expensive jewelry and various other valued, sentimental belongings from their past life._

 _After being revived from cryosleep, they were informed of the unsettling news of their mother's passing a few years prior. Her younger sibling was very distraught and heartbroken by the news while she, on the other hand, struggled to remember her mother's face. The brunette was infuriated by her lack of emotional response to the devastating news, calling her a mouthful of harsh names, but she honestly couldn't recall much about her mother, which was tragic in its own right. So now, whenever she had free time, she perused through their old family albums to help jog her memory, and so far, doing so did help her recall a bit more about their father and helped her paint a clearer picture of her mother's face over time. It was the first suggestion from the weird old doctor that was actually beneficial._

 _Recently, sleeping, listening to those old records, and looking through those old photos were the only things that brought some joy into her dark life. From Sunday church photos to birthdays to holiday pictures, she enjoyed looking through them even if some of them didn't help her recall much from the past. All the people looked happy and loving, even the young blonde girl that was presumably her from decades ago. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the older blonde woman, presumably her mother, looked a lot like her, and for some reason she felt a bit more connected to her than she did before. Her smile was warm and she always looked so radiant and beautiful. The man in the photo always stood out the most and her heart ached and her chest felt constricted at times, but most times he brought a sad smile to her face. The younger brunette in the photos always seemed oddly placed in most of the photos; she never stood in the center next to the blonde girl. The man stood proud and tall with his arm around his wife's shoulders and a gentle hand placed on the younger blonde girl's shoulders; the mother also had one hand placed on the blonde girl's shoulders while her other free hand lightly grasped the little brunette girl's hand, who stood off to the side with an awkward air about her._

 _Her estranged sibling shut off the television with the remote and glanced at the clock on the wall before she glared over at her with a serious expression. "Don't forget to take your medicine before bed," she reminded her in a dour tone. It was imperative that she took her meds and retired to bed before she did; she didn't like her roaming around the apartment while unsupervised at night._

 _The blonde tensed at her words and her eyes narrowed at the mention of those damned pills. She supposed it was better to take them voluntarily rather than wait for her to find strange ways to slip them into her food and beverages without her consent. She didn't like that the woman often infantilized her and bossed her around, but it was getting late and she did feel tired, so she acquiesced. After closing the album and setting it on the coffee table, she stood up and silently traversed to the bathroom while ignoring the intense watchful gaze of the brunette._

 _"Don't forget to take them all," she warned. "They said it was important to complete the full regimen." Once she put her elder sister down to bed, she would be free from babysitting and could do whatever she wanted without the blonde's contemptuous eyes weighing her down. Although she really didn't have the energy to get dolled up and slip out for a few hours of fun, at least she could breathe a little without the thick tension in the air._

 _The blonde woman wearily glared at her reflection in the mirror and slowly shook her head. She appeared so tired and listless, and the medicine would only serve to wear her down even further, yet she fought through the nausea, fatigue, and other adverse side effects in hopes of achieving wellness one day. In the cabinet, she was faced with a full lineup of pills; sleeping pills to cure her insomnia; antidepressants to keep her balanced; pain pills for the migraines; and her newest friends, antipsychotics for those pesky voices and visions. She filled the glass with water and mentally prepared herself to down the pills after closing the medicine cabinet._

 _Her blue eyes widened with absolute horror, and her heart began pounding in fear as she was now faced with the king of all terrors. A hideous, hairy, horned creature with large gnashing fangs and red glowing eyes had completely possessed her image in the mirror and glared back at her with a malicious intent brewing in its ominous orbs. Instantly, she froze in place against her will and was forced to look at it, and when she attempted to resist, her head began throbbing and radiating with pain that eventually shot throughout her entire body as if her entire being was ready to combust into flames and explode. Her attempts to cry out for help were silenced and strangled in her throat, and a lone tear slid down her now ghostly pale cheek. Her defiance was futile, it would kill her if she dared. It was then that the visions replaced her thoughts, those same seemingly irrelevant visions that kept flashing through her mind in her nightmares showing the same three strangers; a gentle woman, a fierce man, and a young boy being shown growing from infancy to young adulthood. A guttural, demonic voice reverberated throughout her head, repeating a foreign name she had never heard before._

 _Her pale hand tightened its grip around the glass of water, it was the only mobility she was granted as the monstrous beast slowly attempted to seize complete control of her. The glass shattered, and the shock and pain of the jagged shards slicing into the flesh of her palm jolted her free from the mental grip of the creature just long enough to allow her to release an ear piercing, blood curdling scream. Suddenly, as if something released her from its grip, the blonde collapsed onto the floor with a thud, like a doll carelessly falling from a child's hand._

 _Mere moments later, her very startled younger sibling burst through the door with her eyes widened in shock and horror at the ghastly sight she beheld. She cried out her name with worry when she saw the blood splattered on the white floor tiles and the terror stricken face of the blonde. As concerned as she was, she was hesitant to approach her, fearing that she'd be on the receiving end of her violent outbursts. "What the hell's the matter with you?!" she lashed out in a panicked voice. "You...you haven't been taking your meds, have you?!" After a few moments of receiving no response from the blonde laying on the bathroom floor, she finally rushed in to aid her._

 _Dazed and frightened, she stared lifelessly at nothing as the brunette tried to slowly help her up from the cold bathroom floor. She was trembling with fear, and despite the woman next to her repeatedly calling her name, all she could hear was that garbled, demonic voice speaking that name to her over and over._

* * *

"Jin…Kazama…," she breathed out softly as she slowly regained consciousness from her far too brief nap. Those damned chilling memories haunted her more frequently as the days passed, but the reasons behind them were confusing to discern. She groaned tiredly, and as she became more cognizant of her surroundings, she opened her eyes to glance around the gun range. Her sapphire eyes froze in place when they fell upon a lone figure of a man in a long black overcoat with his arms folded across his chest staring at the target sheet down the lane.

Nina drew in a sharp breath in surprise at the sight. When did he get here? How long had he been standing there? Why did he come all this way to find her? In spite of her efforts to push all thoughts of him into the background, there he was, invading her dreams and now breaching her solitude in the real world. She would have to gear up and face the music, despite the fact that she hated dancing to someone else's tune, especially when she wasn't in the mood. 'Jin Kazama…' his name echoed in her groggy thoughts again as she was now faced with the devil himself.

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Nina had an interesting trip down memory lane, but she can't escape reality for too long. Sorry to leave off on a cliffhanger...XD. Next chapter will be a direct continuation!


	24. Confusing Emotions

Long time no see, everyone. Sorry for the long delay in a new chapter, but things have been quite hectic for me. I've been overcoming some setbacks and was too distracted to write/update. Hopefully the upcoming spring break will give me more time to stay on track. Sorry again, guys. Thanks for reading/following/reviewing!

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.**

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As if he could feel her eyes on him, he slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder at her. The elusive blonde assassin had him on a wild goose chase, but he finally caught up to her. He honestly didn't want to come all this way to find her, and things would have been so simple for him had she answered her phone. After countless calls going straight to voice mail, he grew annoyed and decided to hunt her down whether she liked it or not. Every step he took to find her, he was always one step behind. He had received word that she flew out to the air base to oversee the drills, yet when he arrived the soldiers informed him that a she had departed twenty minutes earlier to move on to her next objective. Next, he received word that she was seen reviewing over inventory at one of their warehouses, and again, once he finally arrived she was already gone without a trace, that is, until he issued an alert for all men to report her location to him as soon as she arrived at her next destination without delay.

Once he arrived, he received information directly from Eddy about where to find her, but that verbal exchange didn't come without another debt that he now owed since the man boldly demanded that he set up a meeting to speak with him privately in the near future. He knew what that meeting would entail and dreaded the arrival of that day, and he couldn't help but to think that he could've avoided that conversation had he not left the comfort of his office.

Despite being upset with the woman, he decided to cut her some slack once his eyes fell upon her resting on the small bench in an uncomfortable upright position. She had snuck around like a cat in the shadows to avoid him, and she expended so much energy to evade him while performing needless chores that she finally tired herself out. The strange utterance of his name a few moments before her awakening caught his ears, and he wondered how she was aware of his presence yet still looked surprised once she laid eyes on him. She seemed reluctant to speak since she only sat there quietly while gazing up at him in a mysterious fashion.

"You look tired," his strong voice echoed throughout the empty range. "Not sleeping well, I suppose." Now that the silence was broken, hopefully that would pave the way for the conversation. Jin returned his eyes to her target sheet down the lane and realized that it was another clue that she was indeed distracted since her shooting seemed a little off the mark.

Naturally, she detected some snideness in his tone despite his efforts to play it cool. He was beating around the bush as well, it was a sign of nervousness. She stretched her back, which was sore from her poor sleeping position, and crossed her legs while crossing her arms against her chest as well. "You came all this way just to concern yourself with my sleeping habits?" she mocked tiredly with a thin smirk. "How sweet." She had a clear idea why he wanted to speak with her, but he should've given this more time. This was a tough pill for her to swallow, and she wouldn't make this an easy task for him if he deigned to bombard her with questions regarding _that._

Jin turned to look at her with a stern expression. Just as predicted, she erected her ice wall again to repel him and to escape confrontation. She seemed angry with him for some reason, but he would stand his ground against her on this issue and get the answers he needed. "I wouldn't have had to waste my time if you hadn't disobeyed the conditions of your contract, again," he scolded with a straight face.

"So, there's an immediate emergency that needs to be addressed?" she scoffed.

"Should that be the only reason I'm allowed to contact you?"

"I believe that lengthy, detailed contract stated something along the lines of discouraging personal calls," she reminded him with a small smug smile. She knew all too well that her refusal to answer her phone wasn't what forced him to hunt her down.

He let out a heavy sigh to calm his nerves. For some reason, he could see right through her game plan. She'd continue to retort with snarky comments, he'd grow angry and say something rude, they'd argue, and then she'd go a week or so without speaking to him while successfully dodging confrontation about this issue just as she intended. He remained silent to contemplate the best way to tackle this situation to avoid an unfavorable outcome. 'She regrets everything…I can see it on her face, but why did she…why did we allow it to happen if this would be the end result?' he pondered.

Those damn butterflies were in a frenzy in her stomach as the silence persisted, and he was only making things far more uncomfortable and awkward by not directly stating his purpose for tracking her down. She could see that he was visibly annoyed and decided to loosen up just a bit. She lifted her hands to her temples and massaged them gently and took a deep breath to make herself less tense. She gazed at him with seriousness in her eyes and said in a low whisper, "Look, I know why you're here, but this isn't the time or place to discuss this matter." She didn't want to get into the embarrassing intimate details about their reckless actions, especially outside of the confines and privacy of his office or quarters.

Just as expected, she took the dismissive route. He allowed his piercing eyes to sweep over her before he took a small step forward, and he immediately noticed that she tensed up again by folding her arms again and averting her eyes to look at anything but him. There was a very faint tint of rose on her visage that served as a telltale sign of her nervousness and discomfort, yet she still had a prominent frown upon her lips that gave her the appearance of being more angry than flustered. It was hard to imagine that those same lips were once possessed with a fiery passion that left him smothered in kisses ranging from tender to playfully rough not even twenty four hours earlier. He needed answers now and further postponing this topic would only increase his anxiety. "You regret your actions," he stated pointedly. "Do you think sweeping this under the rug will make things easier?"

The blonde cast her eyes downward momentarily before reluctantly forcing herself to meet his gaze. That determined look in his eyes somewhat swayed her to be more compliant about speaking to him despite her own reservations. She let out a defeated sigh and let him have his way. "Fine," she breathed out. "What do you want to discuss?"

He felt drained simply from trying to force her to cooperate with him, but at least he made some leeway with her. This was a very awkward, confusing situation for him as well, but he hoped that they'd be able to settle this matter and move forward. Jin folded his arms and stared down at the woman before him with a somber mask over his face to disguise his own nervousness. "Last night," he started, he could visibly see her sharply inhale as he said this. "I…it wasn't in my intentions…I…" he trailed off in a low voice. He spent all day mulling over his words and had perfectly crafted the things he wanted to say to her, but now he stammered like a fool in her presence, undoubtedly adding more discomfort to the situation.

This was unbearable. Nina lightly pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. This is why she sought to have a few days of privacy without him so that they'd both have more time to thoroughly contemplate how they would better orchestrate this conversation. "Jin…if you're curious about the best way to handle this situation, my suggestion is that we forget it altogether," she recommended nonchalantly in a hushed voice.

Jin frowned. That seemed to be a sound solution in her mind, sweeping things out of sight and pretending it never existed; however, in his opinion, it was a coward's way out. He shook his head slowly at her suggestion. "That won't work," he admitted in a low tone. "Wouldn't that make things much more complicated if we don't at least attempt to discuss what happened?"

Nina sighed softly. "There's nothing to discuss," she claimed dismissively. "It was just a temporary lapse in our judgement, and it won't happen again." She could tell from the determination in his eyes that he wasn't going to relent anytime soon.

"Perhaps it shouldn't have happened, but we both made a conscious decision to allow it to. Why is that?" he probed deeper.

Nina softly bit her lip in annoyance as he kept challenging her with pressing questions. He was absolutely hell-bent on getting her to give him a clear answer that she didn't possess at the moment. She sighed again. "Sometimes…people do certain things that don't always have a logical explanation, there's no way else I can explain it."

Deep down, he knew there was a better explanation for her actions, but now he had mentally exhausted himself from his soft interrogation. He still beamed her with the scrutiny of his hard gaze, and they just briefly stared at each other in silence for a moment. After a while, he blinked when she averted her eyes to the side momentarily before returning her eyes to him. He remained silent.

Seeing his face riddled with a mixture of disappointment, confusion, and anger once again made her feel inadvertently guilty about her refusal to disclose her true thoughts and feelings about everything. She just needed more time. However, she didn't want him to feel that his quest to find her wouldn't come without some form of reward. "If it's any consolation to you at the moment, I will admit that you didn't disappoint me," Nina revealed in a sultry tone with a sly, flirtatious smile. "It was fun."

His eyes widened slightly in surprise at her admission, and he could feel his heart thumping excitedly in his chest again. Though this information was less important to the actual issue at hand, he couldn't deny that his ego was relieved to hear that from her. However, he wouldn't allow himself to be sidetracked. He did his best to not allow that enticing look in her eyes to force his mind to overflow with all the memories of their night together once again. "Does that mean you don't have any regrets?" he inquired, hoping she would be more forthcoming with answers now.

He was always so persistent. Nina couldn't help but to laugh slightly at his refusal to give up. She finally rose from the bench and took a few steps towards him, her heels echoing throughout the room with each step. She placed her hand on her hip and shook her head as she looked him over. "Regret is natural after blindly following impulses, but we shouldn't beat ourselves up over it," she elucidated. "Besides, we all know what the true culprit was."

"What would that be?" he asked. He was now hanging onto her every word since she finally decided to speak, and his interest was now peaked and eager to learn more about her take on their dilemma.

"Boredom," she answered with a simple shrug of her shoulder.

He blinked in confusion. "Boredom? How so?"

She slowly began pacing around him as she attempted to better explain her reasoning. "What did you expect to happen after being cooped up together these past few months, trying to cope with the stress from this war? Whether it was the restless nights, the nightmares, or attempts to numb the pain with a bottle in hand, we've both been suffering under the effects of this situation more than we'd like to admit," she elaborated. "Being public pariahs at the moment, we've been trapped and tucked away from society's eye while being forced to renounce the normalcy of our former lives, so we found solace and alleviation from our boredom in a not so sensible manner." She stopped pacing and paused in front of him, nearly lost in thought from her own words as if she were trying to convince herself to understand and believe her own rationale. Perhaps it was only boredom and nothing more, and if that were truly so, then it'd be much easier to forget everything and finally put this issue to rest. The thought of it being something much more than that nearly frightened her.

Jin closed his eyes for a moment after she offered him her best explanation, letting her words resonate within his mind. Her theory behind their behavior seemed feasible, yet part of him still believed that there was more to it than that. However, he did agree that the licentious behavior they indulged in was a form of escapism that felt much needed. He peered at her and noticed that she seemed to be deeply pensive about something. He silently observed her until she looked up at him with her questioning blue eyes.

"Is that all?" she asked with small tilt of her head. She hoped he understood the situation from her point of view and wouldn't overanalyze things like he normally tended to do.

He still had a multitude of questions and concerns, but she was so adamant about dancing around them that he felt that proceeding would be futile. He noticed that she wouldn't keep her eyes on him for long before she turned her head away from him, trying her best to conceal her fluster. She, too, must've still been consumed with the memories of their night together randomly flashing through her mind with no control over them. Jin ignored the fluttering sensation in his gut and decided to muster up the courage to ask her one last question. "Everything happened so quickly," he started with a tincture of hesitation in his voice. "Will…you be _okay?"_

Nina raised a thin brow at his confusing query. What exactly was he getting at with that question? "Do you mind being a little more specific?"

A nervous knot formed in his stomach as he forced himself to clarify his primary concern for her. It was an embarrassing question to ask, but they were both adults. He narrowed his eyes a bit before continuing. "I never wanted to put you at risk, given my situation…I was careless," he confessed apologetically.

Even with his explanation, she was still baffled about what he was droning on about, but from interpreting his nervous body language and reading in-between his words, she finally came to the stark realization about what he was asking her. Immediately, she covered her face with her palm and shook her head for a moment before looking at him with an irritated glare. "You can't be serious right now," she muttered in disbelief.

He didn't understand her reaction or her discontent with the question, but he supposed that it was his own general ignorance about women that left him feeling clueless. He drew in a deep breath before saying, "I just wanted to be sure if-"

"Don't worry about _that…I'm_ fine!" she interrupted with a huff. Feeling her face warming from fluster again, she casually turned her back to him to hide her embarrassment. She desperately wanted to retreat from the situation and spend her time recollecting herself so that one day she may function normally without this cloud hanging over her head.

He figured that his question was a bit too personal for her liking, but if she wasn't worried, then he figured he could breathe a sigh of relief about the situation as well. He took a small step forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and he immediately felt her tense beneath his grasp. "So, what now?"

A small shiver traveled throughout her from his mere touch, instantly awakening the memories and phantom feeling of pleasure that she'd been trying to suppress all day. Nina took a step forward to flee from the sensation and quickly shot a warning glance over her shoulder back at the man behind her. They had never been seen making physical contact outside of the private spaces they occupied, and doing so now would only raise suspicion from others. It wasn't that she would give a damn about what they thought, but a large part of her valued her privacy and secret affairs. "Indeed," she said as she slowly turned to face him once more. "What now?" she reflected his question back unto him.

His brown eyes became fixated on her cerulean gaze, and he instantly began feeling the thick tension building between them again. It was a strange feeling he didn't quite understand, but he found it intriguing, dangerous even. "If we should ever become _bored_ again, what do you suppose we should do?" he asked boldly.

She could barely come to terms with her past behavior let alone contemplate preventative measures for future indiscretions. She folded her arms across her chest with a sigh as she cast her eyes downward briefly, attempting to conjure up a quick answer to his question. "It was just an itch that needed to be scratched," she answered candidly as she allowed her eyes to meet his again. "Since we've gotten it out of our system, we should nip things at the bud."

He couldn't understand her logic at all once again. How could she possibly deduce that things could be easily nipped at the bud when they had an untamed garden growing in their midst? There seemed to be an underlying fear that the woman possessed, one which she attempted to avoid at all costs; he wondered what it could be. She was very guarded, yet he couldn't judge her too harshly since he's been that way for most of his life. "Do you always run from your problems?" he admonished her in a scoffing manner. "I expected more from you."

She shrugged off his judgmental words and shook her head lightly. The blonde sighed in annoyance as she looked up at the raven haired man once more. She said nothing as he glowered at her in silence. 'Jin, please…I don't know what else you want me to say…' she thought as she began to feel even more conflicted. She didn't want to crack beneath the pressure he was putting on her, but she was damn close to giving in.

"Well? You have nothing else to say?" he continued to pressure her, impatiently.

"What else do you want from me?" she asked in frustration. She was growing weary from the discussion, especially since it was one which had no clear end goal.

The question hit him unexpectedly, and he himself didn't know what exactly it was that he wanted to hear from her, but he knew he wanted more than she was willing to give him. Perhaps he was over hasty and expected all answers to every question far sooner than was possible, but it was only natural for him to seek clarification. He lowered his eyes and his thoughts were running rampant once again.

She wanted to leave, but she hated that her conscious forced her to stay and offer him some solace. "Jin," she spoke his name softly and waited until he looked up at her again. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I just need more time."

Time. That was a luxury that he didn't have. His limited time was forcing him to act impulsively, but he couldn't blame her since it was solely his fault for not disclosing his true intentions about his plan, one that she diligently helped him enforce while being completely unaware of the end result he was truly after. 'I should tell her the truth…I should have told her from the start, but at this point, she'll never forgive me…she'll leave…' He snapped out of his thoughts when she spoke again.

"With clearer minds, we'll be able to discuss things more rationally," she surmised. "And maybe next time we can talk in a more private setting." They had practically been whispering throughout the duration of their conversation; the acoustics in the gun range would only cause their private words to echo loudly for unwanted ears.

Despite the conflicting emotions coursing through him at the moment, he silently agreed with her with a straight face. He wondered how much time was needed, and what would their ultimate conclusion be, if they ever reached one?

"I don't know what the future will bring, but admittedly I would hate for it to ruin our somewhat agreeable working relationship," Nina confessed, truthfully.

He nodded slowly and said, "I agree." If anything, he would hope that their night of intimacy would not destroy their business arrangement. Surprisingly, he had found her company tolerable; he would miss their lazy days lounging in his office with nothing but refreshments and interesting conversation as the world around them was being torn asunder.

The blonde woman sighed softly with a small shake of her head as she folded her arms across her chest. "What a pity, in an idealistic world, we could have the best of both," she spoke in a slightly hopeful tone. "Then neither of us will have to be _bored_ ever again."

There was a peculiar inflection in her tone that caused him to narrow his eyes in curiosity. Before he could question her, he only saw her blonde ponytail whipping behind her as she turned sharply and headed towards the door. "Wait…" he called out to her, yet she continued onwards.

"Next time, Jin," she said as she opened the door. She paused for a moment and glanced over her shoulder with a mischievous gleam in her eyes before saying, "I've always preferred actions over words." With that cryptic message, she left him in peace. She was in desperate need of sleep, and now that they reached a mutual agreement to extensively mull over their actions for a while longer, they could be more cautious and rational before foolishly attempting to prematurely discuss things. If she could have her way, she'd prefer to skip the boring part and jump straight to the fun, but that was wishful thinking.

Once the echo of the closing door filled the room he cursed under his breath in frustration. That conversation accomplished absolutely nothing he wanted it to, but then again, he really didn't know what he expected to happen. On the bright side, at least the conversation didn't result in the outcome he deemed to be the most unfavorable; yet the most favorable outcome wasn't achieved as well. Maybe he was a bit demanding and overbearing in his attempts to force her to be more forthcoming with her true thoughts, or perhaps her true feelings was that of complete indifference and she had nothing else to disclose to him.

Jin attempted to shake off those confusing thoughts and focus his attention on more important things at hand, like this damned war that he mentally tried to escape from with fanciful thoughts and unattainable fantasies. 'Time? If only I had more time…' he silently brooded. 'I've been deluding myself with hope for an alternate destiny…the only hope I have is death.' He hated that he allowed himself to be so distracted from his mission, especially now since that distraction slowly made him want to cling to life instead of yearning for his death; however, it was too late for him to turn back now.

* * *

End of chapter 24!

I originally didn't think this story would go on for so long, but it's about 3/4 complete now according to my original outline. I know people usually dislike longer stories so I'll see what I can do. R&R!


	25. Tainted Love

Greetings, everyone! Long time no see again! I'm finally back with a new chapter! Thanks for your patience and continued interest in this story, and I'm still writing despite the slow updates (I'm trying lol). Here's chapter 25, enjoy!

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.**

* * *

In the wake of the devastating war sweeping over the globe, more destruction, death, and despair followed. The war had taken its toll on all countries directly impacted by the air raids and bombings, but the smaller, poorer countries were the easiest to topple and had suffered the most casualties. Children were orphaned, crime and violence was on the rise, suicide rates had spiked, and if there were any survivors, they were slowly dying from mental and emotional anguish, starvation, and despair.

In a shocking turn of events, the plight and desperate call of the sufferers were heard by none other than G Corporation, mankind's new heroic savior. No one saw it coming. Out of the blue, G Corp selflessly donated a good portion of their funds to several war relief charities around the world, providing food, shelter, clothing, and many other essential provisions to ensure the safety and recovery of those in poor, war torn countries.

A new degree of militancy was on the incline as well in efforts to stop the war. Feeling empowered by G Corp clashing with the Mishima Zaibatsu on the battlefield, many resistance groups were born as a result, and they attempted to fight back and defend the people. Fueled by anger and misguided by their courage, these resistance groups vowed to end Jin Kazama's tyranny by aiding G Corporation. These groups posed no immediate threat to the Mishima Zaibatsu, but they were pesky little thorns in their side that needed to be plucked out, for good.

However, the resistance faced some backlash from the media; they disapproved of their methods, despite their good intentions, and pled for these young men and women not to get caught in the clash between the two corporate giants. Despite their foolhardy bravery and persistence, many of these groups were being quickly dismantled by the Tekken Force with relative ease, proving that hot headed, brazen civilians were no match for highly trained soldiers. So now, it was imperative that they put an end to any more of these ragtag groups forming, which would undoubtedly only lead to more arrests and detainment of its members or even result in more senseless deaths.

The blonde woman sat alone in a black car, parked inconspicuously on the side of a dark road. Her arm was getting tired from holding the night vision binoculars up to her eyes, but she continued to survey the military base not too far off in the distance. Over the past week, G Corp had been making many covert moves, moving in large shipments of artillery to this particular base in the dead of night. From her observations, her suspicions had been confirmed. It was indeed G Corp themselves who had been supplying the rising resistance groups with dangerous weapons that no untrained civilian should be wielding. The public, however, still remained blind and ignorant to the foul play of G Corp behind the scenes, who always succeeded in misleading them with smoke and mirrors. Though they were pesky, preventing these shipments would spare some of those militant idiots from foolishly running into battles they could not win, and sadly, their suppliers couldn't care less about their lives since they were only being used as a distraction.

Nina sent out a silent confirmation to her squad, giving them the green light to infiltrate the base and to move on to the next phase of the plan. She would have to notify Jin as well, perhaps by sending him a quick but detailed email. She sighed to herself as her mind wandered over to her employer. The current state of their relationship was shrouded in ambiguity. Over the last week or so, their communication had been strictly via email or through subordinate soldiers who played telephone for them. She supposed that, for once, she could initiate verbal contact with him instead of pointedly avoiding contact with him. She retrieved her phone from her coat pocket and hesitantly stared at the device in her hand before finally deciding to press the button to proceed with the call. The phone rang a few times before being answered.

"What is it?" a deep voice answered.

She was surprised that he answered considering that he didn't seem too pleased with her after their last conversation. "Per my last report, it appears that G Corp is funding the resistance groups," she reported in her usual serious tone. "We've moved the plan to the next phase to intercept any future shipments."

He was silent on the line for a short moment before responding. "Good," was all he said in a flat tone. "Is that all?"

The blonde rolled her eyes slightly in annoyance and mentally chided herself for not just sending a perfunctory email detailing her report. She had grown weary of the lackadaisical conversation and was anxious for it end. "Yes, I'll be returning to base," she informed hastily. "Goodbye." Just as she was ready to end the call, he spoke again.

"If you aren't too busy later, I was wondering if you'd like to join me for dinner, that is, if you haven't eaten already," he asked calmly.

Nina was caught off guard by his abrupt proposal; she wasn't expecting it at all. She wondered if he would've extended the offer to her had she not called first or if he was just patiently awaiting for her to be the first to break the ice. She let his question float around in her head for a moment before replying. "Hmm, that sounds nice," she responded. "But it'll be nearly impossible for us to appear in public without causing a stir." Things were getting pretty hectic in the public sphere, and they no longer had the luxury of safety and privacy.

He was silent again, possibly contemplating an alternative plan. "We can order in if you'd like, it makes no difference to me," he suggested.

She secretly smiled to herself. That idea seemed much more viable, plus she really wasn't in the mood to dress fancy just to grab a meal. "Well, you've convinced me," she agreed as she accepted his invitation. "I'll see you later on tonight then."

"Yes, I'll see you at 8," was all he said before ending the call.

She breathed a small sigh of relief once the call was over. She wondered how the evening would transpire once she returned. They both had their fair share of time to figure things out, but she was curious about what he would say, and how she would respond and vice versa. With a new incentive to return to HQ, she turned the key in the ignition and started the engine. Normally, she wouldn't have taken a car, but since she was just overseeing a covert operation, she figured that a motorcycle would be far too noisy for the mission. Besides that, it was quite cold tonight, and she didn't want to freeze her ass off riding up to 80 mph on a bike. She drove down the dark, desolate road and away from her stakeout position. At the current pace she was driving, it wouldn't take long for her to make it back. Now that food was on her mind, she was quite eager to enjoy a nice meal with her employer while smoothing things over and clearing the air.

She continued driving down the road in relative silence, glancing around occasionally to watch the scenery of the trees lining the side of the road as they quickly passed by her. After another mile or so, she began feeling the creeping suspicion that she was being followed. Just as she reached up to adjust her rearview mirror to take a quick glance, bright, beaming headlights flooded her vision from behind, and the mysterious vehicle behind her seemed to pick up speed. She was startled, but before she could react to that surprise, another threat suddenly appeared in front of her in the form of a dark armored car barreling dangerously towards her. In an instinctive, panicked move, she quickly spun her wheel to the left to avoid the oncoming vehicle, only narrowly missing the collision. Her attempts to quickly slam on her breaks afterwards were rendered useless when the vehicle behind her violently rammed into the back of her vehicle, sending her crashing through the rail guard, off the side of the road and downwards into the dense darkness of trees.

The two vehicles came to a screeching halt on the road, and shortly after their occupants disembarked. From the car responsible for sending their target careening off the road, outstepped a woman donned in a long, leopard print fur coat. A squad of about seven soldiers appeared behind the woman as she carefully walked over to the edge of the road and squinted her eyes to peer down into the darkness. She didn't think she'd be so lucky to actually pull that stunt off successfully.

"Ma'am?" one solider spoke. "What do you want us to do next?"

The brunette smiled mischievously as she continued to skim the darkness with her eyes. "Make no mistake, she's still alive," she informed. "Go down there and sweep the area!"

"And if she's still alive, should we terminate her on sight?" another solider questioned.

She turned to face him with a devious glare. "Leave her to me," she ordered darkly. "She's mine."

* * *

 _"Where do you think you're going?"_

 _"You can't leave…you're nothing without me!"_

 _"You have no where else to go!"_

 _"Please don't go…you need me!"_

A discordant, continuous noise blared loudly, echoing within that strange realm teetering between her consciousness and subconscious. The blonde slowly peeled her eyes open, not being able to make out much of her surroundings besides darkness. She slowly became more cognizant of her current plight and environment once the pain slowly began radiating throughout her body. She moaned and groaned in discomfort as the pain in her head began throbbing. Once she slowly lifted her head up from the steering wheel, the loud, incessant noise ceased to invade her ears. Nina sat up and glanced around in disorientation as the events that took place prior slowly returned to her.

"Fucking hell…" she grumbled to herself as she weakly brought a hand up to her aching head. She carefully observed her fingers when a sticky fluid coated her fingertips; she was bleeding, but in her book it was still a minor wound. If she had more time to sit and recall what happened to her, she would've taken all the time she needed, but the distant sounds of people treading through the forested area with flashlights increased her urgency to escape. She ignored her pain and forced herself to enter survival mode. Once she stumbled out of the vehicle, she was surprised to see how mangled her car was; the front of the car was smashed completely against a tree with smoke billowing upwards from the crushed hood.

"The sound was coming from up ahead…go search over there!" a voice yelled.

"Don't let her get away," a female's voice ordered further in the distance. "Bring her to me!"

Nina instantly recognized the voice. 'Anna…of course,' she seethed angrily. 'That annoying bitch always finds a way to go out of her way to ruin my plans!' Though she was still woozy and injured from the crash, she had to escape and possibly defend herself if needed. She reached back into her vehicle to locate her night binos to help her navigate through the dark forest, and after she located them her eyes fell upon the glove compartment; she smirked deviously and decided to leave her uninvited pursuants a little surprise. Afterwards, she reached behind her blazer jacket and unholstered her pistol as she quietly, but quickly, limped away from the approaching voices. She needed to put some distance between them and hopefully find a clearing so that she could enter her coordinates to be picked up by her team before they left.

Their flashlights swept across the area occasionally, and she was forced to take temporary cover behind a tree when she felt that she was at a high risk of being exposed. She took a brief moment to catch her breath as she squatted down against the tree and carefully peered behind her through the night vision binoculars. The G Corp soldiers were closing in on her crashed vehicle as they carefully and cautiously observed the wreck, undoubtedly searching for her corpse.

Three men circled the vehicle, before reporting back to their leader through their earpieces. "She's not here," one soldier announced to his comrades. "Let's move on to find-"

Before he could finish his sentence, he and the men surrounding the vehicle were completely engulfed in an explosion. She knew she could always rely on a trusty remote bomb to exterminate vermin; it was definitely one of her top five weapons. The fiery blaze lit up the area, which posed as both a good and bad thing. The blast eliminated a few men, but the blaze would only draw more in her direction, so she quickly moved onwards away from the scene. She continued trudging through the forest despite the pain from her injured knee and throbbing head injury.

After hobbling through the forest for what seemed like a mile or so, she finally came upon an open clearing. Wasting no time, she immediately contacted her team so that they could pinpoint her location and retrieve her. Afterwards, she hunched over in exhaustion and watched as her breath burst out in small puffs of smoke from each ragged exhale. She was cold, in pain, and highly annoyed, but at this point she just wanted to make it back in time to have dinner with Jin. It was strange that through all the havoc she was currently experiencing that her primary concern revolved around her dinner plans for the evening.

She brushed her trivial thoughts aside and focused on survival as she made her way out into the open field. The moon was now brightly visible and offered a little more illumination to the area; it felt like a beacon of hope that sparked a bit of optimism in her. Once she reached the middle of the clearing, she was stopped dead in her tracks by the sound of a loud shot piercing through the quiet calmness of the forest. She could feel the air whiff beside her cheek as a bullet whizzed past her face. Instinctively, she whipped around with her gun drawn and faced her assailant.

A woman stepped out from the shroud of darkness and concealment of the dense trees holding a rifle with a scope. She approached closer and stopped about fifteen feet away from her prey. "Found you," she said with a smirk.

Nina scowled silently in annoyance once she came face to face with her sibling. She definitely wasn't in the mood to play around with her tonight, in fact, she had grown completely weary of dealing with her bratty younger sister altogether. She clicked her tongue with a deep sigh as she, too, pointed her gun at her sister. "I don't have time for your bullshit tonight, Anna!"

"Oh? Is that so?" she said mockingly. "Did I catch you at a bad time, hun?"

"Always," Nina quickly retorted.

"Well, it looks like you're just going to have to clear your schedule because I'm in the mood to play with you, sis," Anna smiled mischievously. "Besides, it's not like you have anything else going on in your sad life without me."

She ignored her sister's insults with a small roll of her eyes. "Just get on with it, Anna," she urged impatiently. "I'm pretty sure Kazuya sent you here to do more than just flap your annoying mouth."

Anna scowled slightly. "Do you honestly think I'm just his little lapdog for hire?" she asked rhetorically. "Unlike you, I have morals, and I'm here to stop you of my own volition."

She ignored her sister's delusional lies. She smirked with a small shake of her head. "You must've had your head banged against the headboard one too many times if you actually believe you're some kind of hero," she remarked snidely.

She continued to scowl as she made that crude jab. "Compared to you, I am," she replied as she narrowed her eyes judgmentally. "Who would've thought that miss high and mighty would sink so low and help some sad, pathetic little boy destroy the world because of his daddy issues? I'm sure father would be proud."

Once again, Anna was adamant about slowly grating her nerves and pushing her buttons. She could feel her heart rate increase slightly in anger, but she was far more in control of her temper than her sister. She must've hunt her down with the sole intention of pissing her off, but she wouldn't fall for it. Hopefully, her team would arrive before things escalated because she really didn't have time to play her games. Their aim on each other never wavered as they still had their tete à tete. "Your move, Anna," she challenged.

The brunette laughed a little at her sister's impatience. "What's the matter? You don't like hearing a little criticism to remind you that your shit stinks like everyone else?" she continued to mock her. "The 'ice cold assassin', so desperate to live up to daddy's standards, even if it means losing her soul in the process."

"Shut your damn mouth!" she shot back, feeling slightly irritable now.

"You dedicated your entire existence to making him proud of you," Anna continued ripping open old wounds. "He's dead and you still live only for him…pathetic!" Sure she loved their father as well, but once she realized that she couldn't compete with Nina, she became indifferent about winning his affection and favor. She refused to live her life trying to please their father, especially post-death.

Despite Anna insistently expending her energy to piss her off, she managed to somewhat keep her composure. "Still hung up on the past, I see," Nina commented apathetically.

"It's better than running away from it," she said accusingly as she still kept her lined up in her shot. She sighed and shook her head. "Make things easy on yourself and turn yourself in." She could see that Nina was injured, so being the merciful person that she was, she would go easy on her.

Nina laughed sardonically. "Turn myself in…to your _boss?"_ she said abhorrently. "Ha, if I recall correctly, the last time that happened, things didn't turn out so well...for neither of us." The only way she'd be forced to do such a thing was if she dragged her corpse to him. That was one of her final memories before being captured by the Mishima Zaibstsu and forced to be a frozen lab rat. Their feud, from her perspective, always seemed petty and harmless, but she didn't think her own sister would sit back complicitly and allow something so terrible to happen to her.

Anna's eyes wavered for a bit before she hardened her gaze again. That was one of the many bad memories that her sister held onto and wouldn't forget no matter what she did to rectify her wrongdoings. "I tried to help you, Nina," she explained solemnly. "I did my best, so you can't keep blaming me for that!"

"Help me how? By keeping me drugged up and out of my mind so that everyone believed that I was mental?" she said accusingly.

"That's not fair, Nina! I didn't know what to do, so don't play the victim!"

"That made you feel good, didn't it? Keeping me weak and confused so that you could control me and keep me on a leash."

"I was protecting you…it was the only way I could make you stay with me!"

"I thought I could trust you and you lied to me!"

"It's what father would have wanted…for us to make amends and be together," she claimed with a bit of sorrow and remorse reflecting in her tone. "I did it for hi-"

"Don't you dare…don't you _dare_ mention him!" Nina warned threateningly. She was losing her cool now, and her temper was flaring. Her bitter remarks about their father and the remembrance of their volatile relationship post cyrosleep gradually decreased her timer until an explosion detonated within her. Normally, she could survive an encounter with Anna without allowing that to happen, but she really wasn't in the spirit to deal with her now on top of everything else she was coping with recently.

"You're going to hold on to that grudge forever?" Anna sneered. "How much longer are we going to go through this? Get over it!"

Nina glared mercilessly at the woman before her. "Your words are meaningless to me, Anna!" she snapped coldly as she tightened her finger on the trigger. "All I asked of you was to leave me alone, to stop following me, and to never contact me, but you couldn't even do that!"

"Nina!" she shouted in a pleading tone. She took a step forward but was quickly halted when a shot was fired into the dirt near her foot.

After putting the pieces together, she realized that the reemergence of her sister in her life triggered those strange memories that resurfaced in the form of those cryptic dreams. She didn't want to be confronted by the muddled issues of their sordid past, but coming into close proximity with her estranged younger sibling only amplified them ten fold. She was done with this conversation; she preferred for them to either fight or go their separate ways. After a few more moments of their silent stand off with their respective weapon of choice fixated on each other, a lot of commotion was heard from the forest.

Several more G Corp soldiers emerged from the trees behind Anna with their weapons drawn and aimed at the blonde. She had nearly forgotten that she had her reinforcements scheduled to arrive should her attempt to capture their target failed. She predicted that they would engage in a quick little battle; if she was the victor, she'd take her into custody, but if she lost, she'd still have her boys to help finish her. She shook off the heavy feelings of her complicated emotions for her sister and focused on her goal.

Anna glared at her sister as her back up stood armed and ready for her orders. "Well, it seems you have no choice but to turn yourself over to us," she declared. Usually their confrontations resulted in Nina having the upper hand, and she'd toy with her cockily like a cat playing with a half dead mouse until she became bored, but this time it was she who had her trapped and cornered. She smiled smugly. "Your move, Nina."

This was quite a sticky situation, and while she was normally confident in her abilities, she didn't think she'd be able to fight or outrun her enemies, especially in her current condition. Feeling that it had little to no effect on the situation now, she lowered her gun. She could see that sickening smug look on her sister's face and it caused her blood to boil a little. Before she could strategize how she could possibly escape this unfortunate predicament, her solution and ray of hope appeared in the form of two helicopters flying over the tree tops.

Immediately after reaching the clearing, the men in the helicopters began to open fire on the G Corp soldiers, forcing them to scatter and take cover. During the commotion, one helicopter quickly threw down a rope ladder near Nina, which she wasted no time grabbing to make her escape. The men from the helicopters continued to rain down fire on their enemies, effectively keeping them on their defenses long enough to flee.

Anna and her squad were forced to take cover behind nearby trees at the unexpected assault they were receiving. She gritted her teeth in annoyance as she peered from around the tree she hid behind and watched as her wretched sister was well on her way to a swift escape. Once the helicopters were far enough, they ceased firing down upon them, which prompted her men to quickly emerge from their cover and attempt to fire back with their assault rifles in futility.

A lone soldier with a better plan in sight aimed a sniper rifle at the helicopter, and with better focus, he had the blonde woman lined up perfectly in his sights as she slowly ascended the ladder towards the opening. Without hesitation he planted his finger on the trigger and attempted to take the shot until his weapon was suddenly kicked forcefully out of his hands by his superior.

"You moron!" she berated him harshly with a disdainful glare. "I told you…she's _mine_ to kill!"

"But ma'am…she's getting away!" he said in his defense. From what he understood, Nina Williams was one of G Corporations top targets to be eliminated as ordered by none other than Kazuya Mishima himself; he was only doing his duty.

Anna ignored him and folded her arms across her chest as she watched as the two Mishima Zaibstsu helicopters flew off into the distance. Their meeting on the battleground took an unexpected turn. She didn't expect for her sister to boil over and spill out some of her feelings to her, it was a rarity. She wondered what was going on with her to make her so…vulnerable. 'Nina…you lucky little star…' she thought with a grave expression. 'This isn't over…' She may have failed in capturing her, but she finally somewhat succeeded in her personal plans for her older sibling.

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End of chapter 25! Next chapter coming soon!

The Williams sisters had a little long overdue sisterly bonding to do, even if it didn't go too well. Sorry if some parts of this chapter were somewhat grim, but these characters have such interesting stories! The next chapter will be a little lighter, a little lol.


	26. Pain and Desire

Hello everyone! I'm back again with another new chapter update! Thanks for the reviews and your patience for my updates! Hope you enjoy the new chapter! :)

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.**

* * *

 _You're completely powerless against me," a warped voice echoed in his thoughts._

This was a normal occurrence for him, so he was hardly phased by the demonic voice invading his subconscious. This was actually more tolerable than having that new monstrous threat assaulting his thoughts. He chose to ignore it, as usual.

 _"You're becoming weaker with each passing day," the voice jeered menacingly. "Soon, I will be able to overcome you."_

The voice, his _other_ self, spewed the same vitriol over and over to the point where it had no effect on him; he was stronger now. He just hated that he could hear traces of his own voice intermingled and harshly warped and tainted by that demon to the point where he almost confused it for his own twisted, dark thoughts. That couldn't be the case, for he always considered himself and that _beast_ to be two separate beings.

 _"Your plan won't work…you'll never be free."_

He continued to ignore it. On most occassions, his dreams were never really dreams, just this. He was always trapped in his subconscious with the demonic voice mercilessly taunting and goading him until it mentally weakened him. Again, it would pass, he just had to endure it for now. His own vulnerability caused this to occur, so the devil inside worked harder to break him.

 _"Thousands of people are dead…will die because of you, and you'll still have me within you."_

The demon was going for broke. A small portion of that last statement felt like a hot needle in his chest, but he didn't react to it, but it wouldn't matter if he did; _he_ always knew.

"You never saved anyone…not even your mother."

Another searing stab burned through him. He was growing furious, but he remained in control of his emotions.

 _"Everyone that comes near you is doomed to suffer," the voice laughed in a cruel, maniacal manner. "That woman is no different."_

He hated that the demon was always aware of his thoughts, emotions, and his intentions. He had no mental privacy.

 _"Drowning your thoughts with her won't keep me away," the voice claimed. "You're only dragging her down with your misery."_

This was an old tactic with a new twist. The demon normally stuck to mentioning his mother or had made attempts to mention his old school acquaintances to add fuel to his fire. Seeing that he'd grown immune to that, he searched for a new target.

 _"Your selfish desires have caused you to behave recklessly," the voice stated. "You were so careful in the past…why her?"_

The demon must've figured that he had to create a fresh wound to dig into to tear into new flesh to cause him to crack. The demon's otherworldly, maniacal laugh reverberated within his thoughts.

 _"I see…she intrigues you, she is intriguing…for a human," the voice determined. "You share similar pain, and she numbs you."_

He allowed the demon to continue his rant without interruption.

 _"Your strange fantasies are laughably pathetic," the demonic voice insulted. "I'm your one true reality…only true hell exists within you, so purge that senseless emotion from your thoughts."_

'Nothing you say will deter me from my goal…you will die along with me,' he finally responded, threateningly. The demon laughed mockingly once again.

 _"You're finally starting to intrigue me…we shall see how this unfolds," the voice spoke in a calmer tone with interest. "She's here…"_

He was confused by the last statement but decided not to utter another word to the heinous demon.

 _"Show her the true monster that you are…I'll show her true fear…"the voice continued rambling as it faded gradually until only silence persisted._

After a while, a strange, but familiar sensation rouse him from his slumber. He still felt loosely tethered to his unconscious state, but the warm sensation pulled him further from his trance. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open as he began to awaken and once again enter into his cruel reality. Once his tired, blurred vision straightened, he was greeted with a pair of azure blue eyes gazing back into his own. He watched as she pulled away from him with a faint smile on her lips. He was left with the lingering taste of wine on his lips, which only served to heighten his level of disorientation and confusion. In his haziness, he just continued to silently observe her from his seat. He had to recollect his thoughts; he still felt mentally and spiritually drained after his confrontation with his other side.

"Hmm, I didn't think that'd work," the blonde remarked calmly as she took a small sip of wine from her glass. "But at least you're awake now."

Jin noticed that she seemed extremely relaxed, even her attire matched her behavior. She wore a simple pair of blue jeans with a loose fitting grey sweater and her hair seemed to be slightly damp as if she had just gotten out of the shower. He also couldn't help but to notice that, once again, she was adorned with fresh bandages; a small, white bandage dressed her right temple. She also walked with an abnormal gait that signified that she experienced a bit of pain with each step she took. He, admittedly, felt slightly jilted by her absence from their dinner plans, which led to him feeling bitter and angry with her once again. He figured that she had a change of heart, so he ate alone and made his way through half a bottle of vintage wine before passing out. However, seeing her current condition, he could clearly see that she encountered some issues that delayed her. He wanted to question her about what happened, but he was honestly too fixated on observing her peculiar behavior to do so at the moment.

Nina slowly walked over to the chair in front of Jin's desk and sat down. She sat the wine glass down and looked over the food in front of her with interest. His desk had a full spread of food laid out from an expensive restaurant that, unfortunately, they would have trouble dining in due to being high profile war criminals. Her guilt had set in once she saw the lengths he went through to plan this, but she was still determined to make the best of it no matter what.

After she had arrived back, she showered and then quickly visited the infirmary to have her wounds checked and bandaged. She was informed that she had a minor concussion from her head wound and a mild sprain in her knee. They wanted to keep her overnight, but she strongly rejected the suggestion. Opting to take a shortcut in proper treatment, she was administered a strong opiate to treat her pain before quickly leaving and setting her sights on making it see Jin despite being fairly late. She was starving by now, and with no further delay, she indulged in the meal before her.

He watched as she took extreme pleasure in eating the dinner he had set out for her. The dishes to be served hot had gone cold; the chilled dishes were now room temperature, yet she still dined happily as if she were perfectly content with everything just the way it was. Of course he would have preferred for her to be present so that they could enjoy dining together, but he supposed he was pleased that she actually showed up, albeit later than originally planned.

Once she was finished with her dinner, she sat back comfortably into the leather chair with a look of gratification washing over her features. She felt completely satiated at the moment, and she was happy that she was finally able to experience some form of pleasure after a long, grueling day. She sat up once again and reached for her wine glass. She was slightly baffled when Jin stood up from his seat and walked over to her to casually remove the glass from her hand. She slowly raised a brow in question.

After observing her behavior for a while, he finally figured out why she was acting so unusual. She was clearly on some form of pain medication, and it was obvious that she shouldn't have been mixing alcohol with it. Before she could object further, he finished the last of her wine before setting the empty glass back onto his desk. She drowsily stared back at him for a brief moment with mild confusion.

"You shouldn't be drinking," he asserted firmly. "Are you going to be all right?"

"I'm fine," Nina replied calmly in her typical dismissive fashion.

"What happened?" he further probed with concern.

"I don't want to waste my time talking about _that…bitch,"_ she muttered bitterly. She stood up and walked lethargically over to leather sofa within his office before she sat down comfortably by herself.

He had never seen her behave in such a manner, so he was cautious yet curious about how he should approach the matter. He'd witnessed her anger before, but tonight she had a certain serene yet melancholy air about her demeanor. It was difficult to discern if she was in a sour mood or if whatever medication she was on was affecting her behavior. Despite her indefinable mood, he slowly strode over to the sofa as well and took a seat beside her, prepared to handle whatever may come from the unpredictable blonde.

There was a somewhat comfortable silence that persisted between them for a while, and he wondered if he should do anything in particular to change the mood like turning on the television or lighting the fireplace, but he decided against both for unbeknownst reasons. She just sat there quietly, staring blankly at nothing with a trace of sorrow reflecting in her blue eyes. He continued to sit poised and silent in the corner of the sofa with several possibilities of actions to take running through his mind before the blonde woman caught him off guard by shifting her weight and leaning against him with her eyes closed. Jin tensed a little and remained silent as she rested her head against his chest.

Nina felt so drowsy and fatigued at the moment and longed to just fall asleep, but she was doing her best to stay awake, especially since she was diagnosed with a small concussion. It was tempting, however, to completely abandon doctor's orders with a good meal filling her, drugs to sedate her, and a comfortable new pillow upon which to rest her weary head. Besides that, the mood was set nicely in his office, the lights were dim and both she and Jin seemed at ease and relaxed. After a few moments of silence, she felt his arm slowly envelop around her shoulders as if he were attempting to comfort her. She sighed softly and said in a low voice, "I told you I'm fine."

He allowed his mind to shift onto autopilot and did what felt natural. "It doesn't appear as such," he pointed out. "I'm pretty sure your injuries should have warranted an overnight stay in the infirmary." He knew that she had a terrible habit of trivializing her injuries when, in fact, her wounds could've been far more serious than perceived. Seeing her this way always made him feel a certain degree of guilt about everything, he felt personally responsible for her well being since she was carrying out the orders he assigned to her despite the many dangers and risks she'd face.

"If you're going to spend the entire evening grilling me, then I'm going to leave," she warned in a lethargic tone. She kept her eyes closed as her head remained resting against his chest. With each passing moment, she felt her mind slipping further into unconsciousness. "Jin…" she mumbled softly.

He tilted his head downward slightly to look at the blonde woman resting against him. He made a small grunt to acknowledge that he was listening to her.

"Say something interesting to keep me awake," she requested sleepily. His chest was quite comfortable, and the alluring scent of his cologne aided in relaxing her even more.

That was an odd request coming from her, and it was one he didn't know how to fulfill. What did she want him to say? Was there anything in particular that she wanted to talk about? He wanted to attempt to continue their discussion concerning their _situation,_ but he knew she'd probably object to that, especially with being so moody and exhausted from her mission. When they had interesting conversations in the past, she usually initiated them; he felt that he never had anything to say to her that she'd find interesting. "I don't know what to say," he confessed in defeat. He could hear her sigh against his chest.

"Really? You had so many interesting questions for me the last time we spoke," she reminded, teasingly.

"You mean the ones you refused to answer?" he countered with a stern tone and expression that she couldn't see. He could hear her laughing lightly. "What's funny?"

"You get so upset with me sometimes…I can just imagine that scowl on your face," she mocked playfully. "I guess I have a bad habit of pissing everyone off…" Her voice trailed off a bit with her last statement.

As usual, she seemed to gain pleasure from teasing him, but he'd grown accustomed to it. He remained silent for a moment before saying, "I'm not upset…just confused…about everything."

She could detect the faint gloom in his tone. The blonde woman tiredly lifted her arm and draped it over his chest, further increasing her comfort level. They were both confused, but she was content with just going with the flow without further complicating matters with needless explanations. Everything they were currently involved in was complicated enough, why couldn't this be the only thing that was fun and easygoing for them? He was right, he didn't know what to say, so she decided to commandeer the conversation into a different direction. "If everything goes according to plan, what do you plan to do afterwards?" she asked curiously. She recalled that he had presented the same question to her a while back, and now she was actually interested in knowing what he'd do after all the turmoil subsided, that is, if it ever did.

Jin tried to prevent himself from tensing from her question. Inevitably, his heart rate fluctuated as he debated finally telling her the truth. His mind was at odds with his heart once again, which resulted in the paralysis of his tongue.

Her blue eyes slowly opened as she noticed how tense he became and heard the rapid pounding of his heart beneath her. She craned her head upwards a little to observe him. His eyes were focused on nothing in particular as he appeared to be nervously calculating his response. "Are you okay?" she asked with concern in her tired eyes. "Jin?"

He released a slow exhale as she called his name. He tried to discreetly swallow the nervous knot in his throat, but he knew it wouldn't breeze past her keen eyes. He lowered his head a bit to look into her worried eyes and presented her with a faint smile to reassure her that he was fine. Surprisingly, it seemed to ease her suspicions; her sedated mind inhibited her usually intuitive observational skills. "It depends," he finally responded. She looked dissatisfied with his vague answer, so he continued. "I suppose, after I return things to their natural order…I'll go on with living my normal, boring life." He lied, and he never felt more like a spineless coward.

He was such a curious case. Her brows furrowed briefly before she relaxed her face and gently rested her head against his chest once again. "That does sound boring," she admitted. "Didn't you have any thing exciting to do _before…everything_ happened?"

It was very difficult to recall the times in his life where he wasn't consumed with rage and revenge. His life goals altered with every tragedy he endured. He supposed that he once had ambitions and goals in his life that didn't involve killing his family members, slaying beasts, and contemplating several ways to end his miserable existence. "I wanted to be a computer engineer," he answered. "I figured that I'd work for my grandfather."

She smiled slightly at his response. "That seems to be a fitting career choice for you, uncomplicated and monotonous," she jested lightly. She figured she'd ease up on teasing him before he became upset, but it was so amusing to her. "I'm joking, I'm sure you would've been happy doing that."

He thought for a moment with a thin smirk appearing on his lips. "No, you're right, I would have been miserable," he confessed. "I would've been following the standard model; school, work, marriage, family, work, work, work…" he droned on in a dull tone with a bit of resentment. He wanted to fit into society's mold, once upon a time, until he realized the misery in such a bland life from observing others. He wanted to be free from his curse, but he also wanted to experience excitement. Maybe he would have wanted to travel and leave Japan behind or perhaps travel to some remote area of the world where no one could find him; his possibilities were endless, before _everything._

"A normal life seems miserable to you?" she asked incredulously. "I thought that's what you wanted." Wasn't his entire goal in life revolving around curing his curse for a life of normalcy?

He continued to smirk. "If I lived a normal life, I wouldn't have experienced the craziness and excitement of fighting monsters and surviving unexpected encounters with deadly assassins," he joked dryly.

Those dreams she was having lately not only revived memories of her strained relationship with her sister, but also memories of her fated meeting with the man currently beside her. Life, it worked in very strange ways. She forced those thoughts from her mind and returned her focus to their current conversation. His attempt at mimicking her dry humor again brought a smile upon her face. A small laugh pushed through her lips. "Very funny, Kazama," she commented. "Maybe you should be a comedian instead."

She grew quiet after a while, and he wondered if she was finally attempting to go to sleep. He guessed that he made a very comfortable pillow for her, but since he was comfortable as well, he didn't mind it at all. He thought about allowing her to rest for the night, but for safe measure he decided to keep her awake a little longer for health reasons, of course. He slowly stroked his hand up and down her arm to see how responsive she'd be. She shifted against him slightly while mumbling something incoherent against his chest. "What about you?" he asked.

"What?" she mumbled again with confusion as she tried to mentally respark her mind to stay awake.

"Did you always want to be…an assassin?" he asked curiously yet with a cautious tone. He figured that since she was answering his questions without making things difficult that he could get some interesting information out of her.

That was too much of a deep, thought provoking question that she wasn't sure her fatigued mind could handle at the moment. "Of course I did," she said with feigned certainty. "It was every girl's dream to be a professional killer, didn't you know that?"

He narrowed his eyes slightly at her clearly sarcastic response. "I'm serious," he said. "If you didn't do _this,_ what would you have done with your life instead?" He could feel her hand grip the material of his shirt slightly as she remained silent for a moment, hopefully contemplating a serious response.

Nina sighed as his question forced her mind to wade through her foggy memories of her past to recollect and piece together the fragments. It was a difficult task, but she gave it her best shot. "I think I wanted to be a nurse," she replied in a low voice. She was surprised when his body shook slightly as he let out a low chuckle. "Why is that so funny?"

Now that was a career choice he definitely couldn't envision her doing. He didn't mean to laugh or mock her, but he was caught off guard by her answer. Once his small chuckle subsided, he said, "I'm sorry, but that's hard to imagine."

"You think I lack compassion?" she asked seriously.

"No, it's just..." he started before pausing. He wondered if he had somehow offended her. She had joked that he was boring, so why would she be upset if he viewed her as being a tad bit too unsympathetic to be a nurse? "I'm sorry," he apologized before things escalated.

"It's fine, forget it. I don't think that's what I wanted to do anyway…that's what _she_ told me…" she said with a hint of bitterness in her tone. "That lying whore…" She didn't understand what kind of pleasure her sister gained from impeding her memory recovery by fabricating lies and twisting truths about her past, but because of her she still struggled to discover the truth until this day.

Jin knew she was referring to her sister again, but he didn't want to lead the conversation down that difficult path. From her earlier reaction, he definitely deduced that her sister was the root of her foul mood, but their disdain for one another seemed too complex and layered for him to understand, and he highly doubted that she would be willing to divulge that information to him. Besides, he wanted to keep things lighthearted and fun. "So, if you didn't want to be a nurse, then what?"

It was interesting that he found her hypothetical career goals so intriguing; however, she found the conversation to be quite engaging and mildly therapeutic to alleviate her stress. She focused on what she truly recalled from her former life that had actually been backed with tangible proof. "I wanted to be a gymnast," she revealed. "Well, for a moment I did." She remembered seeing old photos of herself in a gymnastics leotard at a competition. Those old pictures helped to connect the dots of her past, a lot. Being inspired by the Olympics of her time, she remembered briefly aspiring to be a gymnast as a young girl.

He waited until she either confirmed or denied this to be true before he allowed himself to be misled again. Though it was an unique career choice, it suited her far better than a nurse, and it was something that would fulfill her need for challenges and excitement. "Well? Why didn't you?"

"I followed through with it, and I remember being pretty good at it, I had to be in order to qualify for a national competition," she explained. "My father wouldn't have allowed me to continue if he didn't see my potential."

He listened to her, pretty impressed by her accomplishment. Her life was filled with much more interesting stories than his own, and besides that, most of his experiences were depressing. Before everything, he had only lived a quiet life alone with his mother.

"I had ambitions for representing my country in the Olympics after being inspired by watching great female gymnasts flying through the air on television," she relived whimsically as a reminiscent smile tugged at her lips. "The training was grueling, but I dedicated at least two years to practicing." She remembered her father encouraging and pushing her to be serious and consistent with her training, it was as if she had two coaches. Her mother, on the other hand, wasn't too pleased with her new hobby, which sparked disagreements between her parents about her father pushing her too hard and forcing her into such a dangerous, brutal sport.

Not wanting to be left out of the chance to bring Olympic glory to the family, she remembered Anna begging to take ice skating lessons, which they conceded to let her do, but after so many falls and failed axels she grew frustrated and abandoned the venture altogether. Going into gymnastics, she experienced several injuries, sprains, bruises, and broken bones, but she didn't want to give up because she didn't want to disappoint her father.

"How far did you get, and why did you stop?" Jin queried. He was interested in knowing the conclusion to her story.

A small, sarcastic laugh emerged from her. The reason behind her leaving gymnastics was forever engrained in her memory. When she was actively trying to recover her memories, she remembered researching and learning that negative memories had a more lasting impact than positive ones, which was why most of the memories she was able to recall were usually entangled with tragedies. "I was attempting to qualify for a spot on the team before the world championships, but fate had another plan for me," she started. "I was so nervous about not making the team that I convinced myself that I had to perform a complicated element to keep an edge over the competition, so I attempted to perform the Korbut flip on the uneven bars."

From the glum tone of her voice, he could tell that this story didn't have a happy ending. However, he wanted her to finish, so he didn't interrupt her.

"I had only successfully pulled off that trick a few times in practice, but I was foolish to believe that I could do it in competition with so much pressure on me," she admitted regrettably. "So, during the flip, I failed to catch the bars and smacked my face against the mat so hard that I knocked myself unconscious." She could feel Jin's hand grasping her arm gently to comfort her, which she found endearing, but she had come to terms with that embarrassment long ago.

After that event, her mother forcefully made her quit, fearing that she'd permanently maim or kill herself, and she also wanted her to embrace more safe and feminine activities like her sister. Her father was more concerned than disappointed, to her relief, and Anna seemed delighted that her dreams were crushed and that instead of touring the world, she'd be stuck at home with her.

That must've been a very humbling experience for her, and he was no stranger to those. His pride and cockiness had blinded him in the past, but he was always reminded of his weaknesses and limits when he bit off more than he could chew. He certainly experienced some well needed humbling when he recklessly fought Ogre after his mother was attacked. "You doubted yourself at the last minute," he surmised from her story. "You were good enough…you had nothing to prove." He exhaled slightly and glanced down at the woman laying against him, she seemed to be deeply pensive at the moment, possibly still reflecting back on the events from her past.

She listened to his words with an open mind. Perhaps he was right, but none of that mattered now, that was all in the past. She closed her eyes once again, definitely feeling quite tired now. She hadn't planned to sleepover in his office, but at this point, she was too lazy to travel back to her quarters.

The feeling of her warm body pressing against his inevitably triggered remnants of those past desires harbored for her. He could just imagine his _other_ half cackling wildly at his behavior, but for once, he couldn't care less about the sentiments of that beast. The demon was right about one thing, his desires were indeed selfish, but if he was on limited time, he was going to make the most of it. Jin quietly leered at the woman nestled against him, who finally appeared to be sleeping. He lifted his free hand from the arm of the sofa and gently caressed it over hers as it laid upon his chest. He idly traced his fingertips along the back of her hand before slowly interlacing his fingers with hers. He could feel her lightly grasp his hand in return as she stirred against him.

"Things can take an unexpected turn…the events of this war will be unpredictable," he spoke grimly, unsure if he had an audience listening to him. "Death is lurking at every turn, lying in wait to claim us at any moment."

She was trying to sleep, she honestly was, but it seemed that Jin was quite chatty this evening, but at least he had somewhat interesting things to say. "With or without this war, death is always waiting," she quietly responded with equally cryptic words. "There's no sense in worrying about matters out of our control…just live."

A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips as his brown eyes were still fixated on their intertwined fingers. "So, you'll help me?"

"Help you do what?"

 _"Live..."_

She thought that she was already helping him do that, it was her job after all. She tiredly opened her eyes, and they were immediately drawn to their interlocked hands. "Of course," she simply reassured.

He was beginning to understand this strange, unspoken thing between them. It was difficult to explain, just like the strange chemistry brewing between them, but whatever it was, he wanted it to continue to exist.

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End of chapter 26!

This was a long chatty chapter between Jin and Nina, but at least they reconciled. Hopefully they can overcome their inner demons in the future.


	27. A Cry for Help

Hey everyone! It's time for another long overdue new chapter! Sorry for the wait, but here it is! Thanks again for your patience and reviews! :)

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.**

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 _The cold sludge slipped between her toes with each slow step she took into an unknown direction. It beckoned her forth, and she followed obediently; the call became too strong for her to resist. Her skin was drenched and cold, yet it didn't stop her. Then again, she didn't possess the agency to do so._

 _The dark area was briefly illuminated and was promptly followed by a crackling boom that filled the atmosphere. The trees around her looked ominous as they swayed with unrest in the howling gusts of wind._

 _Her body finally stopped, gently wavering unsteadily to keep its balance as if the force within her was unfamiliar with controlling a human host. After a few moments of waiting alone in the heavy rain, an unearthly shadowy figure materialized before her. It was an entity that radiated pure evil with those same glowing red eyes that had been haunting her for so long. It swirled in front of her like a black mist with an oppressive energy powerful enough to stifle and overcome anything in its path. A normal person would flee the scene in terror, but her vacant eyes were forcefully glued to it. It spoke to her, its voice reverberated loudly in her head, making its intentions for her clearer than it had in the past._

 _A voice screamed her name frantically through the storm, it drew nearer and nearer until she was roughly tackled onto the ground. Her name was being screamed repeatedly while she was violently shaken. Eventually, the black fog lifted from her mind, returning to her the control she so desperately pleaded for in the darkness of her corrupted mind. With a deep gasping breath, she finally came to and was back in control of her mind and body. She looked listlessly at the woman hovering over her, whose wet, brunette hair clung to her frightened face. They were both completely drenched from the downpour._

 _The brunette was trembling, not only from her soaking wet pajamas, but from fear over this entire ordeal. She didn't think that waking up in the middle of the night to use the restroom would lead to her running outside in her nightgown during a raging storm to find her sister. Their front door was wide open, and as she desperately ran around the apartment to search for her older sibling, she spotted the blonde staggering into the park across the street wearing nothing but a tank top and underwear. Thanks to her, they were both covered in mud and would probably be guaranteed to develop a high fever the following day._

 _"You…saved me…"the blonde gasped out weakly. "You saw…'it', right?"_

 _"What the hell are you talking about?! Saw what?" the younger sibling yelled irately. She forcefully helped the blonde up from the muddy grass, gripping her arm so tightly that it would probably leave a bruise. "I'm sick and tired of dealing with your shit!"_

 _Her spirit was broken, and she never felt more alone in life. She had no one. The rain was her only ally at the moment; her tears were shrouded and her pain was hidden as the fuming brunette roughly dragged her back to their apartment._

* * *

There was always a certain motto that she lived her life by, one that kept her focused and perfectly sane despite all of the world shattering madness she encountered throughout her life. Unsurprisingly, it was something her father had once told her whenever he saw that she was down in spirit.

 _'Keep yourself busy, and you'll forget why you're unhappy…'_ his words echoed in her thoughts.

Now that she was wiser, she could see how problematic and dismissive that statement was, but admittedly, it served its purpose in keeping her afloat over the years. Busyness had always been her crutch, her shield, and without it she felt extremely vulnerable and troubled by various minutiae of life that she usually ignored. Though her employer's intentions may have come from a good place, he didn't realize just how much agony he was causing her by granting her a mandatory vacation.

Thinking back to the night of their _sort of_ dinner, she recalled being comfortably lulled to sleep after finally knocking out from the heavy dosage of pain meds administered to her; however, the morning after was a different story. She couldn't remember how or why she'd awoken on her employer's chest or why he was so complacent with letting her fashion him into her personal mattress, but after the meds had dissipated, she felt absolutely awful. Her body was numb with pain and she had a splitting headache, and immediately taking notice of this, Jin personally escorted her to the medical wing to receive more thorough examination of her condition. Just as she feared, they kept her for a few days for medical treatment, more examinations, and, of course, recovery, but she loathed being holed up in the hospital.

Now that she was over that obstacle, she was saddled up with another inconvenience, complete and utter boredom. Due to the untimely vacation foisted onto her, she had difficulties adjusting to a schedule filled with nothing. The only productive things she had done so far was send out her laundry and dry cleaning, pay her bills, and perform maintenance checks on her weapons, but even those tasks required no more than a few hours to complete. There was far too much on her mind for her to have this much free time at her disposal.

Clueless as to handle this new freedom, she returned to the only place she knew to report to, even if it was completely unnecessary for her to do so. Nina glared out of the large floor length window, observing nothing of particular interest to her. She supposed that she just enjoyed the view from the height and its deceptive calming effect. Chaos and turmoil were slowly devouring the world, but the panoramic scenery from his office was as lovely as ever. She sighed quietly as she wallowed in her own restlessness, feeling completely lost at the moment.

It would take a blind man not to notice how perturbed his bodyguard appeared to be at the moment. When she entered his office earlier in the morning, she regarded him with a slight perfunctory nod before making her way to the windows, standing there for nearly fifteen minutes without a word. The blonde was dressed in her usual office attire, a white blouse and black slacks with heels, as if it were just a normal work day.

Beforehand, he was simply enjoying the quiet solitude of his office, trying to keep his troubled thoughts at bay by reading book over a cup of coffee when she surreptitiously entered his office. Not wanting to disturb her melancholic, contemplative mood, he continued reading while only lifting his eyes from the page periodically to steal glances at her. He watched her as she leaned against the wall with her arms folded across her chest with her eyes still glued to the window.

Jin sighed. "I thought you'd be happy," his voice pierced the silence. "You're wasting your vacation days moping around my office." He could see her purse her peachy lips slightly before they returned to their normal frown. He wanted to cure her from her perpetual gloom, but she seemed so reticent lately. He knew he'd risk an unfavorable response, but it was worth a shot. "Is it your sister?" She slowly turned her head towards him with a discernable look of surprise.

She wondered why he assumed that she'd be thinking about her sister. Did she happen to mention that to him in her loopy state of mind when they were last together? There were many things weighing on her conscious, keeping her awake at night, and even if she didn't want to admit it, her sister was one of them. Their last run in left her unsettled, angry, and confused. Anna had ample opportunity to either kill or attempt to capture her, yet she wasted her chances just to verbally assault her over matters she no longer cared for or didn't wish to remember. Nothing Anna usually said got beneath her skin, which she considered to be her titanium shell, but their heated argument over their father plucked a few discordant chords within her. It wasn't just her, it was everything. The chilling night memories, the disastrous war, her conflicted emotions, all of them were bearing on her mind heavily as of late. 'Anna…ever since she came back, I've been having those horrible nightmares. Is she really the cause of this?' the blonde pondered.

He was given no response, so he figured that his assumption was correct. It was one of those topics that she never fully disclosed to him, but if it was the cause of her glum behavior, maybe it'd do some good to discuss it. "Tell me what's wrong," he demanded coolly as he placed his book on his desk and turned his chair towards her.

Nina suddenly felt as if she was abruptly shoved out onto center stage, expected to deliver a grand speech, yet she didn't deem her trivial problems to be worth his time. She sighed, "Jin, you're orchestrating a wide scale war, you have a neverending list of people who want you dead, and you're facing a slew of other problems not many people can understand," she reminded him in a straightforward tone. "My sibling squabbles are not tantamount to the issues you're dealing with."

Once again, she proved to be resistant to openly discussing her problems. She was impossible to deal with at times. "If it's nothing, then why are you here?" he questioned, impatiently. "You're obviously here because you want my attention."

Her eyes widened a bit at his accusation. She wanted to retort, but maybe he was right. She was tired of being bombarded with her troublesome thoughts, so she subconsciously came to the only place where she felt she could escape. It was a strange pattern that she had developed over time; she had a habit of seeking him out when she needed comfort. She averted her eyes from his and looked back to the scenic view. "There's honestly too much happening right now for me to take a vacation," she admitted. "I keep thinking about needless things…and these strange dreams…" her voice trailed off.

"What dreams?" he asked curiously. Their eyes joined again.

She shook her head dismissively. "It's nothing…just weird dreams…or memories from my past," she explained softly. "Maybe I'm just going crazy..."

He was very familiar with strange dreams and visions, so he could definitely sympathize with her. He convinced himself that he was going mad long before he acted upon his plans. "These dreams…are they a common occurrence?"

She nodded slowly. Her memories usually resurfaced at strange times and in odd ways, but her dreams were downright unsettling. With another heavy sigh she said, "I don't want a vacation…I just want all of this to be over," she admitted to him with a worried expression. "I want this war to be over…after you destroy this _Azazel_ creature…I want things to be _normal."_ She was a contract assassin who killed for money without hesitation, yet somehow this war was slowly breaking her. What was taking so long for this thing to surface?

He dreaded the day that she'd confront him with her doubts about his plans, but he had no control over the resurrection of that beast. Its delayed appearance gave him more time, gave them more time, but her impatience would only wind the clock faster to his demise. He wanted to buy more time, but she was ready for the end results already. He turned his head towards the window and stared blankly at the cloudy skies. "It'll all be over soon," he spoke in a despairing tone. "It'll awaken…I'll destroy it…" '…and myself along with it.'

"Our men have that area secured, maybe it's about time we visit that temple to destroy that thing," she suggested. "Then, we can end this war for once and for all." She gazed at him, anticipating his answer, but he seemed slightly distressed by the topic. His eyes were sorrowful as he silently glared out the window.

Her words forced him to consider taking a faster pathway to end it all sooner than he anticipated. With his death, people would throw parades in celebration and usher in a new era of peace. A lot of suffering would come to an end if he hurried things along. Being alive at this point was only selfish. 'Azazel…I haven't heard its voice as frequently as I have in the past. Maybe she's right…I should just get this all over with…' he pondered deeply. He was seriously considering such possibilities until she spoke again.

"Better yet, have you ever considered the possibility of just letting Kazuya pursue the beast?" she wondered. "Best case scenario, he challenges it and fails, then we'll have one less thorn in our sides. What's the worse that could happen?"

He never knew what Kazuya wanted from this war or what his discovery of Azazel would bring, but he had a foreboding feeling that the outcome would be disastrous. Jin shook his head firmly. "No, his intentions are not to be trusted," he reasserted tersely. He could feel her angry eyes glaring at him.

"Why not? If we set him up to take the bait, he could recklessly pursue it and hopefully die in battle, and then you can finish the thing off and end this war!" she suggested with deluded desperation. "Even if Kazuya prevails, at least you won't have to worry about doing so, then warding off G Corp would be our only concern." She felt as if she were giving him helpful feedback for his plans, yet he was hellbent on doing things his way, which seemed so drawn out and convoluted. Perhaps she was wedged between this battle of father and son where the sole purpose was just an arrogant showcasing of machismo between the two men.

"Enough!" he shouted, commandingly. He finally let his eyes fall upon her again, appearing visibly agitated by her sudden doubts and reservations about his plans, but once he noticed the genuine look of concern on her face, he quickly calmed his nerves to prevent his temper from flaring. Her unrest and unease was all his fault; she seemed to be slowly unraveling at the seams and he was the cause. _'You'll only drag her down with your misery.'_ The words of that _demon_ echoed in his mind, and it pained and disgusted him to admit that he was probably right. The sickening feeling of guilt settled within his gut as they both fell silent. They were both frustrated, but he didn't want to fight with her anymore. He took the few moments to formulate the best way to handle this situation, without escalating the tension. Before he could, he was surprised when she spoke again.

"I'm sorry…I'm being selfish," Nina sincerely apologized as she took a deep breath. She leaned her back head against the wall and tilted it upwards as if she were asking the heavens for guidance. "I don't want to pressure you. I guess I'm thinking that you're the key to ending everyone's suffering, even my own. I just want the pain to end, especially yours, Jin." These were the needless things she wanted to keep bottled up, but in her current state of unrest, she couldn't hold it in anymore, thus she took some of her frustrations out on him. This is why she yearned to be busy again. She closed her eyes and attempted to calm her uneasy nerves. She opened them again when she felt his warm palm smoothing over her cheek. She was a little surprised because she didn't even hear him approach her since she was so consumed with her thoughts.

The blonde assassin gazed back at him with doleful eyes, he could feel that her despondency mirrored his own, but he didn't want her to feel that way. In due time, everything would be restored to order. "Do assassins usually worry about their clients like this?" he asked with a faint playful smirk, trying to lighten the mood. He could see a small smirk pulling at the corner of her lips as well, hopefully signaling a shift in her mood.

His palm felt warm and comforting against her cheek. She realized that their closeness had caused her to be more expressive than she had ever been in the past, but she could detect his bait from a mile away. He was absolutely hellbent on discovering the combination to her safe of well kept secrets. "Why? Do you believe I'm giving you preferential treatment?" she counter asked. "I'm just…worried."

"I just didn't think I'd be worthy of your concern," he told her as he gently cupped her chin with his forefinger and thumb. Perhaps if he self deprecated himself a little, she'd feel some pity for him."I'm not just another needless matter on your mind?"

Nina felt herself succumbing to his charm once again. He persisted on finding new and interesting ways to force her to confess her feelings, it was amusing. The blonde smiled smugly and placed a hand on his cheek. "If you were, I'd be thousands of miles away on a remote beach enjoying my _vacation,"_ she confessed.

Jin couldn't resist but to crack a smile at her admission. It wasn't an outright declaration of her emotions, but coming from her, it was close enough. He wanted to comment with another quip, but his close proximity to her lips convinced him to remain silent and engage in a more fulfilling activity.

She closed her eyes as he leaned in and gently kissed her. As usual, they held a certain amount of restraint until the prolonged sensation of their lips mingling caused their passion to soar. His body pressed hers against the wall as he further deepened their kiss. She embraced her arms around his torso as she became thoroughly aroused as he boldly slipped his tongue between her parted lips. Her hands gripped the back of his shirt as she tried to suppress the urge to moan against his lips. This was a kiss that was far too passionate for the early hours of the morning, she hadn't even had her necessary dose of caffeine yet. Nonetheless, she definitely felt that his affection offered her some well needed emotional healing.

Jin could feel his focus slipping as he felt himself becoming far more _excited_ than he intended. He yearned to experience that intimacy they shared together, he wanted to feel that strange, wondrous emotion that overwhelmed his senses whenever they were together. Unfortunately, he would have to stop himself before his need to pursue his selfish desires forced him to abandon his responsibilities.

He slowly parted from her lips, finally allowing both of them to breathe. He cradled her soft cheek in his palm and stared into her slightly flushed face in amusement. He could see that she was craving much more from the lustful sparkle in her cerulean eyes. "I have a meeting," he breathed out, reluctantly. He could see her face slowly expressing her discontent.

Since he didn't email her his itinerary, she was completely unaware of this. She sighed softly and folded her arms across her chest. "A meeting with who?" she questioned.

"You needn't concern yourself with that…you're on vacation," he reminded her.

She tilted her head to the side slightly. "Jin…" she let his name linger in the air until he answered her.

That serious expression and concern in her eyes made him cave. "I have a meeting with Eddy, if you must know," he revealed. She seemed even more worried now.

She sighed heavily this time. "So…you're finally going to tell him?" Poor Eddy was left in the dark for far too long, this was long overdue. Things could get ugly, she didn't want to leave him alone. "Do you want me to stay?"

Jin slowly shook his head. "No, this is something I have to do," he spoke dejectedly. He had been dodging this conversation for long enough, he was tired of being a coward. Besides, having her present would probably seem threatening or add even more tension to the meeting. "You should go and rest, don't worry about me." He tried to reassure her that everything would be fine, he could see that she was troubled by other matters and he didn't want to add to them.

The ever intuitive blonde could sense that he was ill at ease about this meeting, and she wanted to further object his decision to dismiss her, but she decided to throw in the towel and concede with his wishes. He was holding his head low with a morose expression on his features. She stepped towards him and placed a comforting hand on his cheek. "It'll be fine, Jin," she assured confidently. "If you need me…just call."

Her hand retracted from his face until he reached up and clasped it in his. He gently placed a kiss on the palm of her hand without any perceivable reason. He remained silent as he released her hand and simply gave her a slight nod. With a faint smile, she turned away from him and left his office.

Once she exited his office, she breathed a sigh of relief as she made her way down the hall. She heard the familiar footfalls of another person echoing in the long corridor as she traversed it. The figure was none other than Eddy himself, undoubtedly on his way to hear the grim news concerning his business arrangement with Jin. Her breath hitched slightly as he drew nearer.

She realized that she hadn't spoken to him since their not so warm exchange in the armory a while back. They were both swamped with their respective duties, so that was always a valid excuse for their avoidance of each other. She wanted to somehow clear the air in case there was any animosity between them, but he walked right past her as if she were a spectre. She made no attempt to speak to him. He seemed so focused and consumed with his thoughts; his lips were pulled into a tight frown and his eyes gleamed with seriousness and determination, apprehension as well. She exhaled lightly and kept trekking down the hall. 'Good luck, Eddy…' she thought gravely. Again, this shouldn't be a concern of hers, it was just another needless thing causing her mental anguish. However, she hoped for best, somehow.

* * *

There were so many things happening within the organization these days that it was very difficult to keep everything properly sorted. G Corporation, the monster with many faces, had so many different appearances to uphold. In the public's eye, they were champions of justice to restore the war torn world to order; however, their private affairs included a long laundry list of dastardly deeds. In the morning, they'd hold a press conference discouraging vigilante behavior only to fly out to their bases in the evening to supply the poor fools with more weapons of destruction. The clever dogs at the Mishima Zaibatsu foiled their secret operation by dismantling their base near the sea, which was the central import area for their firearms, but it was only a temporary setback.

The exhausted brunette leaned against the back wall of the elevator as she rode up from the lower levels back into the main levels of the Millennium Tower. The underground levels were bustling with activity; the central command center was located there, and it the main base of their military operations. After her last mission, she had been tasked with the excruciatingly boring job of overseeing the various missions being carried out around the globe from a very small, tastelessly decorated office with large LCD screens being the only scenery she was offered. It was her punishment so to speak for failing to capture her sister.

Certain complications that her boss couldn't sympathize with had impeded her mission, but she was lucky that being on probation from field duty was all that she received; others would have received a .45 caliber to the back of their head. Given her success with dealing with her sister in the past, she supposed that Kazuya had much faith in her abilities to take on her older sibling. Unbeknownst to her employer, she wouldn't have had much success with that mission in the past had it not been for his scheming step brother.

During the King of the Iron Fist Tournament 2, she had first met acquaintances with the silver haired man when she was brought on to work under Kazuya when he seized control of the Mishima Zaibstsu. She was young and eager to please, and she was determined to take Nina down at all costs. Being as vivacious and flirtatious as she was, she had the silver haired demon, Lee Chaolon, on her radar, but seeing that the man was quite troubled and consumed with hatred for his step brother, it was quite difficult to pursue any type of relationship with him beyond simple friendship. The mistreatment and humiliation he endured under Kazuya led him to a self loathing, miserable existence filled with booze, blow, and bimbos to fill his void and numb his pain, so she instead set her sights on the more powerful of the two men.

Towards the climax of the tournament, they had only just begun to receive intel that the assassin hot on her boss' trail had undeniably been receiving information from an inside source. During their internal investigations, she had barely put enough heat on him to melt a slice of butter before he caved in and broke down hysterically, confessing that he was indeed conspiring with the assassin, Nina Williams, to help her exterminate Kazuya. He begged her to never tell him, and she never did only at the expense that he'd run far away from the Zaibstsu for her to keep her silence. Consequently, thanks to his double crossing, she was able to set up an elaborate trap to capture the pesky blonde. Everything that happened after that, however, was beyond her control. She sighed heavily and tried to prevent her mind from flooding with the accusatory statements her sister hurled at her during their last meeting. She never knew what Kazuya was planning, she just followed her orders.

She snapped out of her thoughts when the elevator dinged and stopped on a floor she didn't request. She looked up at the doors as they opened and was surprised to see her comrade boarding the elevator. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and feigned a smile instead. "I'm glad to see that you're back on your feet again," she expressed in a lukewarm tone.

The tall kickboxer stepped into the elevator with a minor limp and a smug smirk on his face. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes, princess," he said as he observed her in her short red dress with her breasts perked up for duty. "Trying to get promoted from desk duty with that little get up, I see." He chuckled lightly as he noted her annoyance.

Anna pursed her lips at his little quip. She only had a few more floors before she reached her stop, hopefully she could make it without killing the annoying fool. "Oh, Bruce, you never fail to charm me with your kind words," she said sarcastically. "It makes me so sad that my evil sister kept you off your feet for so long." She smirked as he sneered.

"Speaking of which, I heard that you failed in that department as well," he reminded. "Maybe instead of skipping rope and playing patty cake, you should've been more focused on stopping that bitch!" He was still slightly bitter about his last encounter with the assassin; he yearned for revenge.

"Oh, you think you're so witty, Bruce," she remarked. "Maybe Kazuya should just give you a red nose and you can cheer up all the injured soldiers in the ICU." She could see him gritting his teeth in anger from the corners of his eyes as if he were gearing up for another silly retort, but she wasn't in the best mood, and one more peep from him would gladly make her pick up where Nina left off. Luckily for him, the elevator reached its stop and the door opened.

She immediately stepped out and began traversing the long hall leading to her employer's office. To her dismay, the tall man was walking right behind her. She clicked her tongue with a sigh. "What business do you have with him?"

Bruce smirked. "What? You didn't receive the email? Apparently the boss is updating us on his latest plans," he revealed. "I guess being stuck in the basement really has left you in the dark."

She clenched her fists lightly by her side before choosing to ignore him. Being on the teasing end was no fun, she wondered if this is how Nina felt whenever she relentlessly bugged her to death. The truth was, she didn't receive an email, she was just doing her daily check in with him while, shamefully, hoping to get back in his good graces.

They both arrived to his office doors, she cautiously knocked but received no answer, but they both entered despite that. Their employer stood erect in the dimmed office with his arms folded across his chest as he observed several LCD screens in front of him with various maps and grids on display. He heard them enter, so there was no need for him to turn around and acknowledge them right away. With the recent dreams, visions, and voices speaking to him, he saw everything more clearly. 'It seems Jin is taking his sweet time and the beast is growing impatient,' he mused. 'The collision of two stars… then he will awaken.'

"You called, boss?" Bruce interrupted.

Anna just silently observed him. He had been much more reclusive lately, and even when she spotted him from afar, he always seemed so consumed with his thoughts. Something strange was happening with him, yet she had no inkling of an idea about what was going on anymore.

The devilish man finally turned to face his subordinates with a blank face. He nodded very slightly to Bruce, it was his way of welcoming him back after his absence from his duties. His bicolored gaze then locked onto the red clad vixen, and with a look of indifference he offered her the same gesture. He had much more important things to concern himself with besides dealing with that woman. "It's time that we take the reins from Jin and speed things along," he started. "I'm tired of waiting, we to take matters into our own hands." They looked confused, as they should, but he was careful not to reveal too much too early on, especially since he had only recently found out the scope of Jin's plans halfway through their game.

Both Anna and Bruce cast each other confused glances as their employer spoke to them. Wasn't that the plan all along or did he have something else in mind? They both remained silent.

 _"It_ spoke to me in my dreams…now I know what I must do," he spoke cryptically. "The war is merely a distraction…in order for it to awaken, I must bring the fight to Jin."

Still, they were both slightly stumped by this new revelation in his plans, but whatever he had up his sleeve was sure to be fun. Bruce smirked and cracked his knuckles. "I'm guessing this means the gloves are off and there's no more kiddie play then?" he wondered. Kazuya smirked and nodded in return. "Good, I'm tired of playing mind games…I'm ready for some real bloodsport."

"The cold war is over," Kazuya announced sternly. "I expect both of you to carry out your missions with full precision without hesitation…no matter how deadly it may get and despite any _reservations_ you may have." As he spoke this, his glare fell upon the brunette once again.

Anna tensed and inhaled silently as her boss bored her down with his angry eyes. To conceal her disquiet, she allowed her lips to form into a confident smirk. He was right, she had to fully put aside her emotions and stop playing cat and mouse with her prey. She couldn't afford any more failures at this point because the next time he may not be so lenient with her.

'This game of war is a game no more,' the devilish man thought insidiously as he turned back to the screens again, contemplating their next course of action. 'Prepare yourself, Jin.'

* * *

End of chapter 27!

Nina's slowly breaking under the pressure; Jin is still so secretive; Kazuya is out for blood; Anna is struggling with regrets from her past. I've been brainstorming, and I want the future chapters to take a darker turn in theme. If material is deemed to be too disturbing, I'll put warnings at the beginning of the chapters. Thanks for reading!


	28. The Darkness Within Us

Hello, everyone! It's been a long time since my last update (I know...sorry) but I'm finally back! I got caught up in summer madness, but I've been working on updates in between. Thanks for being patient and I hope you enjoy the new chapter! :)

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.**

* * *

The night air was cold, but at least she was adequately dressed for the weather for her little excursion. Despite the risks of leaving the safety and security of the Central Tower, she daringly ventured out on her own to make the most of her leisure time. She gripped her gloved hands onto the gears and sped faster down the road, navigating expertly through the cars and trucks on the highway; she was finally having fun.

After a fairly uneventful day yesterday, it was finally time to do something worthwhile. She had soaked in enough baths and lounged around in her quarters listening to nostalgic old Gilbert O'Sullivan records in her pajamas long enough until she no longer gained enjoyment from it. It was a spur of the moment thing, but she needed to keep herself occupied, so she left.

Her night ride on the road had been smooth and relaxing, that is, until she ran into the one thing every motorist dreads, traffic. Returning to the city, she didn't expect for there to be so much traffic; however, in these tense times, she wouldn't be surprised if the traffic jam was caused by local protestors or some random punks trying to vent out their frustrations through vandalism. Such things have become commonplace in society due to people's fear and apprehension for the future outcome of the war.

She sighed in frustration beneath her black helmet and tried to push those thoughts aside; she hated to admit that she, too, was feeling the mental fatigue from the war as well. Growing weary with the stalled traffic, her impatience forced her to craftily maneuver through the jam to make her way through the mess more quickly until she reached another halt in the movement of traffic.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" the blonde muttered irritably. She leaned her weight to the side and perched her foot on the ground. One would think that the city's nightlife would be dull and dead given the current climate of the world, but somehow people still found ways to escape from their misery, probably with copious amounts of liquor, gambling, and other unhealthy coping mechanisms. She furtively scanned the traffic and glanced over the streets. She was in the entertainment district, so maybe there was something exciting happening this evening, not that she and kept tabs on such things. Bright flashing neon signs and marquees lined the streets and it was hard to pinpoint the main attraction. She was beginning to lose her curiosity about the matter until her eyes skimmed past a bright marquee showcasing a hauntingly familiar name. Her eyes widened beneath the dark shield of her helmet visor and her heart throbbed so vigorously that she could hear the drumming in her ears. Her breath hitched in her throat as the world around her fell deafeningly silent.

'This…can't be happening…' her troubled thoughts raced frantically. A loud honking behind her abruptly resumed the current world around her. Traffic was moving again, and she quickly zipped through the vehicles to flee the vicinity. 'Why…why now? Why?' the blonde's mind whirled with unease.

* * *

It had been a long, emotionally and psychologically draining day, and no matter how much he tried to distance himself from stressors in his environment, they always honed in on him. He just couldn't find an escape. On top of everything else, he wasn't feeling well as of late. There was something else heavily weighing on his thoughts and emotions that made him feel disgust and shame to his very core. The meeting, to say the least, hadn't gone as planned.

' _You did what needed to be done…'_ the demon _consoled_ him. _'Keep your pawns in order, they are disposable and useless beyond this war.'_

'Don't talk to me…' the brooding raven haired man thought in response. Despite his full intentions to finally be truthful, the _demon_ had intercepted his thoughts and corrupted them to force him to lie, or least he hoped. He couldn't bear to think that he would willingly allow himself to be this cruel and deceptive.

The warped demonic voice cackled in his mind annoyingly. _'Truth and virtue will get you no where, only the weak delude themselves with such nonsense.'_

Jin cringed at hearing the voice taunt him further. He thought he had become stronger to tame the beast within, but it seemed like a downhill battle for him. He was becoming desperate now. In a slow, zombie-like motion, he reached his hand towards his top desk drawer, struggling to pull open the simple sliding drawer mechanism.

 _'Ah, yes…the pills,'_ the demon's voice taunted with another laugh. ' _They won't help you…it was only a delusion I allowed you to believe.'_

'You bastard...I'll stop at nothing to destroy you…' he tried to think positively despite his suffering.

 _'Your pain brings me absolute pleasure,'_ the voice goaded cruelly with another maniacal laugh.

After a while, the laugh became nothing more than a distant echo. He was finally leaving the threshold between his subconscious state to reenter the real world. Like attempting to spark two stones together, it took a moment for him to regain full mental control.

A strange, sporadic buzzing noise filled his ears and opened his eyes to only be greeted by the darkness prevailing over his office save for a lit device vibrating on his desktop. He blinked lethargically for a moment before he responded to the situation, especially once a familiar face and name became recognizable on the small screen. He reached for the phone and finally answered the call. Even still, he was slow to answer as he did so.

"Hello…Jin?" the woman's voice spoke, hesitantly.

He readjusted himself in his leather chair as he sat up to shake off his grogginess. "Yes, Nina…I'm here," he responded.

"You sound tired…did I disturb you?" she asked.

Even in his post trance, hazy state, he could sense something strange about her tone. "Something's troubling you," he stated observantly. "What is it?"

She followed with a small, forced laugh. "I'm okay…I just regret leaving…" her voice trailed off, "…because traffic is so terrible." she tacked on the last part.

Her voice was breaking up slightly from the wind breezing across the receiver. "Come back…it's late anyway."

"I never realized I had a curfew, but very well," she agreed. "Are you sure you're okay?"

He paused momentarily, closing his eyes with a deep breath. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine," he falsely reassured her. "Be careful."

"I will," she assured before ending the call.

Jin placed his phone back on his desk before sinking back into his chair with a sorrowful sigh. He slowly lifted his hand and cradled his face in his palm. Destroyer, dictator, monster, warmonger, murderer, liar…all the things they said he was, he became. The devil was getting a real kick out of this, but he refused to roll over and let the demon win. 'I can't become a monster like _him…I_ must fight this…' Despite his resistance, it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened.

* * *

Rationality was not on her side this evening. Rationale and pragmatic reasoning had ruled at least ninety percent of her life, but her current actions reflected the remaining ten percent of confusing, illogical human emotions that overtook her once in a while. With hesitant footsteps and shaky hands, she purchased a ticket. With shallow breaths and a racing heart, she entered the venue and eventually took her seat, hopefully far enough from view to remain permanently inconspicuous. She had purchased her ticket late, but she came in time to catch the end.

The anxious blonde sat stiffly in the hard seat, clutching the small ticket in her hand with her arms folded across her chest. She kept her shades on as she sat in the back, but she still felt somewhat apprehensive about being recognized. Working for the Mishima Zaibstsu had compromised her secret identity, but she would be surprised if some regular Joe actually remembered her face from an old blurb in the paper.

She observed her environment, and she was incorrect in her earlier assumption that this event was the main cause for the heavy traffic. There were barely a hundred people in the audience, and it explained the cheapened ticket prices. Times were hard after all. 'What am I doing here? I can't think straight…I shouldn't be here!' her thoughts raced frantically. 'No…I just need to see…just a glimpse…' The announcer's loud voice pierced her thoughts.

"The break is over and it's the final round!" the announcer yelled over the ring. "In the red corner, we have defending middleweight champion, Yoji Abe…and in the blue corner British native champion and golden boy, Steve Fox!"

The name blared through her ears and her breath hitched in her throat as the intense pounding beneath her ribs returned. She blinked slowly and brought a hand to her head to rub away the tension building at her temple. For some strange reason she began to feel ill, malaise was settling within her and she could barely focus on the action in the ring. The crowd, even with its sparsity, generated a decent amount of uproar as the two men went blow for blow in the ring. She was never really a fan of the sport, but she could see how it would garner the excitement from spectators. Her eyes honed in on the blond haired male, who bobbed and weaved around his opponent's punches with ease and even a playful cockiness.

The crowd was eating it up and cheered loudly at the demonstration of the fighter's skill in the ring. After all, from what she analyzed, it was nothing more than a friendly exhibition match between the two boxers. The blond boxer found an opening in his opponent's defense and delivered a sturdy jab to his gut and followed up with a quick uppercut to his chin that sent the man falling backwards from the blow. Again, the cheers and whistles reached an all time high at the climatic moment of the match. The referee quickly came in and did a three count as the fallen man struggled to peel himself up from the ring, but it was evident that it was over and the golden boy had won.

The spectators whistled, shouted praises, and jumped from their seats with cheerful excitement. Nina remained seated and poised amidst the havoc and only observed. Amid all the despair engulfing the world, she was surprised that people still had the ability and energy to feel happiness and positivity. It was only a small handful of people, but somehow seeing people pushing through their pain was oddly inspiring. She was pulled from her daze when the noise simmered down a little when the announcer appeared on the large screen as he shoved the microphone into the winner's face.

Her face went pale and she felt as if the walls around her were closing in on her when his _face…her_ face appeared on the screen. Everything fell silent around her again as she sat still like a stone statue and was forced to look into those eyes that mirrored her own. His lips were moving as he spoke confidently about his win, but she couldn't hear a single word. A strange flashback flew across her damaged memory; she saw hazy images of shadowy men standing over her as she was bound by restraints on a cold slab. Suddenly, she felt so cold from the random fragmented memory.

A sharp pain began throbbing in her head, causing her hand to fly up to her face to shake away the pain and the horrific memory. For a reason she currently couldn't comprehend, she became inexplicably enraged. She couldn't bear to be there anymore, so she quickly rose from her seat hastily and walked into the aisle. She carelessly collided into a random stranger, knocking him down in the process, but she continued her ascent up the stairs towards the exit in a hurried fashion. She just needed to leave, to get as far away from _him_ as possible.

Once she was outside, the fresh, crisp air was a blessing to her lungs. Even in a slightly panicked state, she still forced herself to maintain her cool composure. Nina took in a few deep breaths and unzipped her black leather jacket a little to cool off since her skin was now slightly damp from the sudden cold sweat she'd broken out into earlier. She began walking down the sidewalk and away from the venue in a daze as her mind recovered from the small trauma she just experienced. It was her fault for going on this night ride, for not listening to Jin, and for being _weak._ The blonde assassin sighed heavily and tried to shake the strange, indescribable emotions from her thoughts. 'What the hell was I thinking? Why did I trick myself into thinking that I needed to see _him_ again? I'm losing my damn mind…' she mentally chastised herself.

"Hey!" a voice shouted out. "Hey you! Wait!"

Nina whipped around sharply and her eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of the blond boxer trailing after her down the slightly crowded sidewalk. Without a moment's thought, she bolted away from the young man and silently prayed he would lose interest in following her. To her dismay, he was indeed quickly tailing her while yelling for her to stop. Certain pedestrians were once again casualties that were either shoved out of her pathway or completely knocked down as she ran down the street.

The blond boxer wasn't sure why he was so adamant about following the mysterious woman, but a strange feeling of déjà vu engrossed him when he caught a glimpse of her hurriedly leaving the arena. The sight of her blonde ponytail whipping behind her and her slender build instantly took him back to that day outside the hotel. He wasn't entirely certain if it was the same woman, but she seemed hauntingly similar. He pursued the woman down the sidewalk until she sharply turned around the corner of the alley and disappeared from his sight. Desperate to keep up with her, he quickly ran to the mouth of the alley and attempted to enter until the roaring engine of a motorcycle burst in his ears. Very narrowly, he dodged being run over by reflexively jumping backwards to hug the wall as the black leather clad woman zipped past him.

After recovering from the mild shock of thinly escaping being trampled over, he stood alone in the alley with his mouth agape. He was confused by the entire ordeal, but he didn't know how to process everything. The young man sighed heavily and hunched over to place his hands over his knees to catch his breath. He still didn't understand what provoked him to chase her, he never really got a clear look at her face. He shook his head and figured he'd return since his manager was alarmed at him suddenly fleeing the ring. Looking downwards, he noticed a shiny, black device on the ground almost blending in seamlessly with the dark concrete. He reached down and picked it up and observed it.

'A phone? Did that woman drop this?' he thought. Whoever that woman was, she would probably be interested in having this phone returned to her if it was indeed hers.

* * *

The burning taste of scotch slipping down her throat did nothing to soothe her screaming nerves. In fact, after the first sip, she knew it wouldn't remedy her agitation, so she sat the glass down on her nightstand. She'd showered and prepared herself for bed as she normally would, but the disquiet of her mind kept her from sleeping.

She had paced around her room, laid down, and repeated the process a few times over like she was stuck in a never ending loop. His face, his name, _her_ face, his voice was all that occupied her thoughts and the only thing her thoughts did in return was continuously berate her for her foolishness. Now, she felt angry at absolutely everything. Nothing positive came from the venture, and she couldn't help to feel the irony of her intended relaxing getaway ride resulting in adding more fuel to her flame of unrest.

The rattled blonde rested on top of her bed once again and blew a heavy sigh as her blue eyes parked themselves onto the stark white ceiling. She loathed being reminded about the many unpleasant, horrific experiences of her past, which is why she smartly avoided them to protect her mental health. Seeing him tonight only opened a floodgate of negative emotions that she was once able to contain. His face forced buried feelings of resentment and anger to resurface, reminding her of the pain, betrayal, and worst of all, the _shame_ and embarrassment of her own weaknesses.

Being captured and being stripped of her dignity in front of that bastard Kazuya was an all time low for her, but discovering the truth about what they did to her nearly destroyed her psyche. She would have rather died fighting and gone out with a grand bang than to be captured at the mercy of her enemy's hands. The _shame_ of being so vulnerable hung over her like a dark cloud, and the way they used her body made her sick to her core until this very day. She always had pride in her ability to endure and persevere, but that awful experience reminded her that she wasn't completely unbreakable. It wasn't fair to the boy, but his existence was the harbinger of her mental torment and _shame._

Nina closed her eyes with another long, miserable sigh. She was distraught and upset, and she craved a quick remedy to ease her troubled mind. It was late, but there was no rest for the wicked, and she was sure to find company from her employer even in this late hour. With a new goal set in her mind, the assassin slowly peeled herself up from her bed to seek out solace.

* * *

Her short journey to her employer's office came to a close, and she entered after providing the necessary biometric code to gain access. Normally, she would reprimand herself for being so shameless with her need for gratification, but she had a rough night and desperately needed to take the edge away. 'Why do I suddenly feel like I've been possessed by my sister?' the blonde thought with a small cringe.

The office was completely dark, not a single light or desk lamp was on. She paused in the doorway, thinking that she was once again incorrect in her assumption that her employer was still present. However, she still took a few cautious steps in and squinted her eyes to see that he was indeed there, sitting in his chair with the natural lighting from the backdrop of the city shining through the large windows outlining his silhouette.

She was relieved that he was there. She casually sauntered over to his desk dressed in nothing but a short black silk night slip with a matching robe. She wondered if he ever returned to his own quarters to sleep, most times it seemed that he only crashed in his office. From what she could remember, it was quite spacious for one person, so maybe he didn't like occupying such a large space alone. She padded barefoot across the carpet softly as she approached his desk. She reached for the small desk lamp to switch it on, but the moment she did she heard the lightbulb spark and fizzle out with a brief flicker. She sighed and just decided to wake her sleeping employer to prompt him to get a better night's rest in his bed.

Nina quietly approached Jin as he sat perfectly still in his chair with his eyes closed. He appeared to be sleeping soundly and she almost felt guilty for disturbing him for such selfish reasons. She slowly reached out her hand to brush his dark hair aside and smoothed her palm across his cheek, a gesture she'd grown comfortable with since their familiarity with each other grew. He was a little cold to her touch, and she nearly panicked until she thought back to the first time she found him like this. "Jin," she whispered softly. "Jin, wake up." He wasn't responsive and she began to worry. Just as she was beginning to retract her hand from his face, she was startled when he slowly grasped her hand in his own. She sighed in relief. "Damn it, you scared me for a moment," she said quietly. "Are you feeling okay?"

He only responded by slowly rotating his face towards her hand and gently planting a kiss in her palm. He caressed his hand over hers before clasping it in his own.

She was slightly taken aback by his actions, yet found it strangely endearing in its own way. She smiled faintly as he now caressed his tongue across the palm of her hand in a peculiar manner until the shock and pain of sharp incisors bit down into her flesh. Nina winced and gasped loudly in pain as she quickly withdrew her hand away from his mouth. "Jin…what the fuck?!" she hissed in pain. She didn't know whether to be angry or frightened by the situation. She cradled her hand and tried to inspect the damage despite the poor lighting; there were small puncture wounds beneath the flesh of her thumb with blood slowly pooling to the surface.

A chilling, frighteningly inhuman laugh reverberated across the dark office, forcing her to snap her gaze up to him. Nina looked up and noticed Jin slowly rising from his chair. Now seeing him in motion, she could definitely see that something was terribly wrong with him. He stood in an unusual hunched position, unlike his normal posture, and slowly walked around his desk.

She stared at him in stupor, having a delayed fright or flight response to the threat before her. 'This is the devil gene? No…he still looks like himself…but he's _different...'_ she thought fearfully as she slowly backed away from him. She couldn't really see his face, but in his eyes there was a strange silvery gleam accompanied with a sadistic grin where his normal human teeth were now slightly fanged. He stalked towards her like a predatory animal anticipating to sink its ravenous teeth into her flesh. "Jin, please stop!" she tried to reason with him in a slightly shaky voice. "You don't want to hurt me or anyone for that matter, so please wake up." His menacing laugh filled the room again.

"There is no 'Jin', only _me,"_ he spoke in a slightly warped, dual voice.

Nina tried to mask her fear, she wasn't scared for her life, but for Jin's. Was he really completely overcome by this beast or was there still a chance to reach him? Despite her brave front, she continued to keep her distance from him. They were almost in the middle of the office now. She briefly looked behind her and thought about making a break for the door to get assistance, but she didn't want to make any sudden moves and risk angering him further, thus opening the possibility for him to slip further from himself. "I want you to return to yourself, Jin…let me help you," Nina spoke in a soothing tone. Her words weren't getting through to him. As he approached closer, she could somehow feel a strange, ominous aura around his being. He outstretched his hand towards her and her blue eyes widened as her neck felt like it were suddenly placed in a vise grip. She couldn't move her body anymore.

He could sense that she was planning to escape, but there was no way he'd let her slip through his fingers. He could see traces of fear reflecting in her eyes, but it wasn't enough for him, he craved to see true terror on her face. Once he was close enough to the blonde, he slowly swept his eyes over her as he reveled in having her trapped in his clutches, completely vulnerable to his every whim. "What a pretty little prey you are," he spoke again in that strange dual tone. "I can't decide in which order I'd prefer to kill, eat, or fuck you." A sickening grin spread over his lips as he licked his tongue over his fangs.

Nina widened her eyes at his disgusting words, things that Jin would _never_ say to her. In futility, she grasped at her neck as if she were trying to claw the invisible hand from her throat. The more she struggled to breathe, the more wide his grin became.

"You…bastard…bring Jin back…" she choked out in a weak hoarse voice.

The demon was surprised that the woman still had the gall to speak out against him. He cockily smirked as his silver eyes shone with intrigue. "I am the _true_ Jin…I am everything he was meant to be, and more." he told her as he stepped close enough to clench her jaw between his hands. He pierced his inhuman eyes into hers and was still sorely disappointed. Her fear wasn't quite at the level he needed it to be yet.

"Y-you're nothing…like Jin," she still opposed despite the labor it took for her to speak. "I'm not afraid…of you." She had faced several foes, and she always had deep disdain for the self assured, sadistic maniac type. She'd been at the mercy of many a creep who preferred to toy and torture their captives, yet she survived and prevailed.

His grip tightened on her chin until she winced. "You will show me fear no matter how much pain I have to cause you," he threatened as he narrowed his eyes dangerously. Surprisingly, he could see a thin smirk slowly forming on her lips.

"You sound…just like your father," she uttered to him calmly despite the pain he was attempting to inflict on her. Those silver eyes stretched open in shock at her words. Something wavered in his eyes, like a light flickering on and off. His grip on her chin gradually loosened as well as the pressure on her neck.

He closed his eyes and shook his head to fight back some strange emotion stirring within him. "Y-you!? I'm not done yet…" he muttered angrily to himself. 'Stay away...from her!' a conflicting voice echoed in his head.

Nina used a bit of her remaining strength to wriggle her face from his grasp while desperately sucking air into her burning lungs. She felt a little drained as well, perhaps the energy omitting from his oppressive aura was the culprit for that. She watched as the man before her was struggling internally with his two halves. He grasped his head in pain while clenching his teeth together. She wanted to help him, but she wasn't sure if he had completely returned to himself. In a sudden move, he reached out and grasped her by the shoulders as if he were trying to brace himself up. She was initially petrified and didn't want to risk being attacked again, but she brushed her hesitation aside and instinctively grabbed onto his shoulders to help him.

"Jin…" she whispered cautiously. "Is it really _you?"_ His grip tightened on her.

"Nina..." he gasped out in his natural voice. He slowly looked up into her face with that demonic gleam still flickering on and off in his eyes. "Show me…your fear…" his voice shifted again to the demon's.

He was now grabbing onto her tightly to keep her in place. "Jin... I'm sorry," she whispered softly to him before doing something she would regret. She swiftly launched her knee into his groin and winced as she heard him groan loudly in pain. Instantly, he let go of her and fell down onto his hands and knees as he nearly curled up to recover from the immense pain she inflicted upon him.

Still reeling from the shocking turn of events, she just stood there silently and attempted to control her breathing. Pain still radiated from her wounded hand, but other important matters on her mind made her a little numb. This was the furthest thing she imagined happening tonight when she decided to pay him a visit, and she wondered what would have happened to him if she didn't. Most likely, he would've been able to complete a full transformation without her interference, and she definitely wouldn't have been able to help him if he had gone too far beyond the point of return. 'This is what he's been fighting all along…his cursed blood,' she mused, trying to center her thoughts to calm her nerves. 'This was only a glimpse into the suffering he's battling everyday…' She lowered her remorseful eyes down to him as he was still recovering from her attack. She slowly knelt down before him with concern while being mindful to keep her distance.

Jin stopped writhing after a while as the pain began to subside. He took a few slow, deep breaths before lifting his head upwards to observe his surroundings. He had nearly thought the entire ordeal was just one horrific nightmare until he adjusted his blurred vision and saw his bodyguard before him with a look of worry, sorrow, and shock displayed on her pale face. It wasn't a dream. He felt completely swarmed with deep guilt and shame as he looked into her face. He hung his head low again and shook his head pitifully. "Please...don't look at me…" he muttered weakly in a low voice. He hated himself, he hated his very existence more than ever now. He felt very weak and fatigued from his ordeal and he didn't mind letting himself slip from consciousness to escape from the horrible reality of his life.

Nina immediately moved closer to him once she saw him slumping over on the brink of passing out. She encircled her arms around the much larger man and attempted to help him to his feet. She wanted to take him back to his quarters; it didn't feel right to leave him when he was at risk and in such a vulnerable state. "Jin, stay with me, I'm taking you to your room," she told him calmly as she held on to him. "Don't give up." Their lives were full of chaos and turmoil; they were constantly being bombarded with troubles nonstop, but somehow they had to find a way persevere and survive.

* * *

End of chapter 28! Next chapter coming soon!

This chapter was draining to write...so many different emotions. Everyone's secrets are coming back to haunt them. They can't seem to catch a break!

Fun facts: 1. Gilbert O'Sullivan is an Irish singer from the 70s (I tried to find an artist from that era that Nina might've been familiar with). 2. In scenario campaign, if you play Devil Jin, it alludes to him possibly enjoying eating people...so yeah lol. Weird, right? Thanks for reading!


	29. Fate's Cruel Game

Hello, everyone! I'm back with another update! Sorry for the wait, but I'll try to update at least once every month. Also, thanks so much for the reviews and story follows, I really appreciate them all! :)

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.**

* * *

An unexplainable sense of dread weighed down heavily upon his thoughts. His chest felt heavy and a thick knot felt like it had lodged itself in his throat. Though not completely cognizant yet, something still lingered on his mind that made him feel completely horrid and despondent. He didn't want to wake up, he still felt fatigued and drained, a similar feeling he experienced in the past when he took a strong sleeping pill only to be granted three measly hours of rest. Something was trying to force its way to the forefront of his mind, but he desperately fought it back to the point where he could feel the tension pooling between his eyes. The state of wakefulness was approaching ever quickly, and soon he'd be forced to face the day.

The soft, melodic sound of gentle humming entered his ears, further beckoning him into the real world. Groggily, he slowly opened his eyes, only far enough to peer discreetly through the slits. Upon doing so, he glanced around with slightly blurry vision and noticed immediately that his surroundings were foreign to him. This was almost a cause for panic, but something about the humming heard in the background calmed him. He slowly skimmed over the vicinity and realized he was in a bedroom smaller than his own but still adequately spacious. Light seeped into the sheer white curtains, signaling to him that it was morning. He was dazed and his memory was fuzzy, but he didn't mind not recalling anything right away for some reason.

The door within the room produced a soft click as it opened. For unbeknownst reasons, he closed his eyes to feign sleep. The soft humming was more clear as the woman entered the room. He carefully cracked an eye open to observe. 'Nina…' he thought as his heart quickened with nervousness. 'This is her room?'

The blonde casually walked about her quarters adorned in her underwear as she went about her daily routine. He closed his eye briefly before reopening it to observe her. She walked to her closet and perused through her wardrobe briefly before grabbing a pair of dark jeans from the hanger. He wanted to avert his gaze from her to give her privacy, but there was something about watching her do the simplest things that was captivating to him. She pulled her jeans up over her hips just as any normal person would and, just the same, buttoned her blouse in an unremarkable way, but seeing her with her guard completely down was an event as rare as witnessing a comet blazing across the sky.

After finishing dressing herself, she casually walked to her vanity and began softly brushing through her blonde tresses before fashioning it into a ponytail. It wasn't until she picked up a silver tube and began applying lipstick to her lips that he noticed the bandage dressing her hand. His heart immediately sank as he noticed her injury and those dreadful memories he tried to suppress finally burst forth. The feel of his fanged teeth sinking into her soft flesh and the sharp cry of pain erupting from her mouth quickly invaded his memories. He absentmindedly clenched his teeth at the memory and shuddered. 'Nina...what…have I done?' he thought in penitence. Unconsciously, he released a heavy sigh in disappointment. The humming ceased.

"You're finally awake…" her voice floated across the room. Silence persisted quite a while after she spoke.

Reluctantly, the raven haired man fully opened his eyes to look upon the woman standing at the vanity. Her concerned blue eyes met with his, and he shamefully brought his hands up to cover his face, silently praying to magically vanish from existence. He didn't feel worthy of her concern or pity. Silence loomed over the room; he just laid there on her bed, completely stumped about what he could possibly say to her at the moment. He could hear her soft footsteps approaching before he felt the weight on the bed shift. A soft hand gently brushed against his shoulder, causing him to tense immensely from the contact. He felt horrendously guilty and felt that he was completely undeserving to be in her presence; he wanted immediate judgment for his violent transgression.

"Don't," he finally spoke in a terse tone. "I shouldn't be here…you shouldn't come near me." He heard her sigh heavily in exasperation.

Nina somehow knew that he would mentally torture and beat himself up over this, but she didn't want him to wallow in guilt over the incident. "It wasn't your fault," she spoke in a calm voice. "I know you didn't want to hurt me-"

"But I _did!"_ he abruptly interjected with anger in his voice. "That's why I need you to stay away from me…you'll be in danger if you stay." If she truly requested it, he would release her from her contract to preserve her safety. Being around him must've been so burdensome and tiring, and now he had added to that stress by becoming a physical threat to her.

"Don't be so dramatic," the assassin said bluntly. It was then that he finally lowered his hands from his face and looked at her with confusion. "Sure it was a surprise, but this is nothing, and I'm still alive." She glanced at her bandaged hand and briefly thought back to the previous night. It was a struggle trying to get him from his office to his quarters; he was quite weakened from the ordeal and couldn't offer her much assistance in holding up his own weight up as they traveled down the long corridor. Feeling exhausted, she just had to settle for bringing him to her own place to lessen the distance to travel.

After she finally got him settled, she begrudgingly made a late night visit to the infirmary to have her hand examined. The medic was perplexed at how she had managed to get bitten by a _wild dog_ in the middle of the night, especially when the teeth impressions didn't match, but, despite his many suspicions, he treated her wound properly. Even afterwards, she barely slept a wink as she nestled up comfortably on her chaise; she kept a close eye on him as he slept, partly in concern for him but also for her own safety.

Jin's eyes fell upon her bandaged hand and it further ignited the guilt and disgust he harbored for himself. Why was she, once again, minimalizing the severity of this situation? Was this always her tactic for coping with trauma? "I hurt you…" he breathed out sorrowfully as he forced himself to look at her injury. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" his voice trailed off weakly as he covered his face with his palm.

Her blue eyes focused on him as he continued to blame himself. She positioned herself to comfortably lie beside him despite the tension. She rested her head on her pillow and turned towards him. "Remember when you told me everything that I would need to know about working for you in Phuket?" she recalled. "You pretty much warned me that something like this could happen and gave me the option to nullify my contract…but I didn't." She noticed that he lowered his hand from his face to look her in the eyes once again.

It was true. He did give her the choice back then, and now, he thought about giving her that option again. He stared intently into her eyes and said, "If you want to leave, I wouldn't deny your wishes."

His tone was so serious that it nearly made her nervous. "I knew what I was getting myself into, I'd be a coward to run now," she admitted with a small, wry smirk. "Besides, I'm not afraid."

They just silently stared into each other's eyes as they laid in bed together. He was relieved that she wasn't afraid of him, but he still feared losing complete control over himself and risking harming her, or _worse,_ in the future. Last night, he couldn't remember what triggered him to the point that he allowed his mental state to become so weakened. He vaguely recalled what happened or how he managed to forfeit control of his conscious to that damned demon. It was like his own conscious slowly became submerged in the darkness of the devil's influence and control, but he could see a slither of light that he desperately yet futilely fought his way towards in attempts to wake up and regain control of himself, but he failed.

Jin pulled himself from his thoughts and realigned his attention to the blonde beside him. He had so much he wanted to say to make everything right, but he knew he lacked the eloquence to properly put his jumbled thoughts into words, as usual. "Nina…I just want you to know that…that dark half you saw last night wasn't me," he revealed in a deeply contrite tone. "I would _never_ want to harm you." She offered him a small comforting smile that put him slightly at ease.

"I know, Jin, you're not a monster," she consoled him. "And I doubt that you harbor some perverse desire to eat, kill, or fuck me…I can't remember the exact order."

His eyes widened a bit and his mouth gaped slightly. "Wh-what? I... _he_ said that to you?!" he stammered in shock. "I would never…I'm sorry…"

She smirked slightly at his reaction. In retrospect, she wouldn't have been opposed to one of those options, but she was a bit embarrassed to admit such a thing to him. Besides, she wasn't in the best headspace last night, it would have made for a rough encounter that he would have been unprepared to handle. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath as she tried to banish away those conflicted thoughts from the events that transpired yesterday. 'After the shock of seeing Jin that way…I nearly forgot about my run in with…' her thoughts were interrupted.

"I still can't believe how everything happened, and I barely remember much after you called me," Jin tried to recall, still feeling a bit discombobulated. "What time was it?" He figured he could piece the clues together to figure out the timeline of what led to him blacking out if he had more details.

Off the top of her head, she couldn't remember, her night was quite complicated and stressful as well. She glanced over to her nightstand to grab her phone to check her call records. Her stomach plummeted. The device wasn't planted by her bedside as it should've been, but before panicking she decided to search elsewhere.

Jin was slightly alarmed when she suddenly jumped up from her resting position beside him and began frantically searching for something. She fell to her knees and looked beneath her bed, dashed to her wardrobe and searched pockets on her black leather jacket before completely pausing in place, seemingly in deep thought. He finally sat up slowly as he observed her strange behavior. "What's the matter? Did you forget something?" he questioned her calmly.

'Wait…where the hell did I put my phone?! I must've dropped it somewhere, but where? Before I panic any further, I need to retrace my steps,' she figured as she forced herself to remain calm. She didn't want to alarm Jin.

"Nina? Did you hear me?" he asked. She was still absorbed in her thoughts.

'I hope it's on company grounds, if it's not, then I'll have to go back to the city…' she became apprehensive at the thought.

"Nina!" he called out to her sharply, now becoming annoyed with being ignored. "What is it?"

She finally pulled herself from her racing thoughts and faced him. Despite her minor distress, she managed to keep her wall of faux composure erect. She shook her head slowly. "It's nothing important, I just forgot to run an errand yesterday," she quickly fibbed. With that said, she grabbed her jacket and slipped it on quickly.

Jin was confused about why her mood shifted so suddenly. Admittedly, he became a little worried at seeing her hastily dressing herself to leave all of the sudden. "You're going out again?" he inquired curiously.

She quickly grabbed her keys from the drawer in her nightstand. "Just a quick run," she stated hurriedly. He was watching her like a hawk, he was definitely suspicious. Nina returned to her bedside and sat down as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'll be back, just stay here as long as you want and rest up."

He remained silent as she gently rubbed his shoulder before getting up again to head towards the door. She briefly glanced back at him with a look of hesitancy before leaving him alone in her quarters. Once she left, he just sat alone in her bed, confused and dumbfounded by her abrupt departure. Her behavior was definitely rousing his suspicions, but, whatever was going on, she'd probably explain it to him later.

He shook his head slowly and sighed as he lazily fell backwards onto the bed. He still felt absolutely awful about what he had done, and her willingness to forgive him so easily still made him feel unworthy of her trust. For so long, he succeeded in keeping her safe from himself, so why did this happen now? Stress and guilt were weighing him down, and he was afraid that he was _changing._ This war had warped his perception of morality and made him more numb to the pain he was in and the pain he was causing others.

' _You sound…just like your father,_ ' Nina's voice echoed in his memory.

Even during his losing battle in his mental tug of war with the _demon,_ those words deeply penetrated through both their consciousness and was ultimately what saved him from the demon's total possession. Her words shook him to the core and made him realize his own ultimate fear, becoming anything like Kazuya Mishima. He could feel his skin crawling at the thought and decided to dismiss his stressful musings for the moment.

The cool, silken sheets on her bed felt comforting against his skin, and he settled in to her bed even more. In fact, the surroundings in her room generally felt warmer and comforting than his own despite the relatively simple and minimalistic décor she maintained. In his own quarters, he preferred the presence of blackout curtains to keep himself shrouded in darkness to help cater to his poor sleeping habits; her room, however, invited light in, which forced its occupant to awaken to face the challenges of the day ahead.

Jin closed his eyes, feeling too lazy to get out of bed just yet, and he figured that he'd accept the offer to lounge in her room for a while before resuming his regularly scheduled day. He hoped that her errand wouldn't take too long and she'd return soon. The rational part of him wanted her to keep her distance away from him for her own safety, but the selfish part of him secretly wished for her to stay despite the many hazards he posed to her.

'That bastard…he could have easily killed her if he wanted, but he was gaining some sick twisted pleasure from _toying_ with her just to spite me,' he reflected. 'I don't know how to keep him at bay now, he's becoming unpredictable.' There were so many problems that he had to contend with in the future, but for now, he just wanted to rest his weary mind and body.

* * *

After thoroughly and carefully retracing her last known steps from the previous night and procuring no results, panic slowly began to surface within her. She was certain that maybe she had dropped it in the garage where she'd parked her bike, but after that assumption was a bust, she furtively began skimming around other places she had been on the company's grounds to locate her misplaced phone with no luck. Her fruitless search brought her to the main lobby to gather her thoughts and determine her next course of action. It wasn't that she lacked the necessary tools to track and locate her phone, that could be done easily, she was just annoyed about doing the extra leg work. She wondered if she should just bite the bullet and inform Jin, but her pride was preventing her from admitting her careless mistake to her employer. A professional assassin that couldn't keep up with her phone? How laughable!

The irritated blonde paced slowly in front of the lobby windows and placed her hand over her face with a deep sigh. 'I can't believe this…why in the hell did I make that unnecessary detour?' she berated herself. 'Well, at least whatever street urchin found it won't be able to unlock it, but if I receive any calls they can still answer them…I need to retrieve it asap!' For the moment, she carefully plotted her next course of action, attempting to use her nonexistent gift of foresight to predict the multiple avenues of different outcomes for this predicament. The best outcome would be if she could locate it in lost and found at the arena with no fuss; the worst would be if she had to chase down, beat, maim, or kill the perp responsible for stealing her phone as a last resort. Normally, she wouldn't hesitate to get herself involved in a violent skirmish, but she had too much on her mind to feel fulfilled by such a lowly guilty pleasure of hers.

'I have to make this quick, I'm still worried about Jin,' she thought with concern. 'He shouldn't be left alone for too long in his current state.' Nina didn't fully understand the nature of his condition or know if she would have any bearing on helping him, but she definitely didn't want him to be alone should another incident occur. Thinking back to the previous night unconsciously made her flex her bandaged hand, feeling the slightly numbing pain from her injury.

"Nina?" a voice called her name. "What are you doing down here?"

She was interrupted from her thoughts and whipped around from the window and turned to acknowledge the person. "Eddy…" she said his name quietly as he walked towards her, donned in his Tekken Force uniform sans the helmet. "How is everything?" She had her own problems to attend to, but she had already been rude to him once and, beyond her own belief, she actually cared about not further damaging their civil working relationship. The fact they that were still on speaking terms showed that there was no bad blood between them despite their minor disagreement in the past.

Eddy casually approached her with his usual reserved demeanor. It had been a while since they had spoken with each other, but considering the high tensions around them, it was understandable that they'd allow their stress to overcome them at times. "Are you okay? You look a little stressed," he noted. His eyes then fell upon the bandages dressing her hand. "What happened?"

Nina noticed him staring at her wound and shrugged as she folded her arms across her chest to casually conceal her hand. "It's nothing serious," she brushed off calmly to avoid arousing any concern. "Where are you headed?" She noticed that he was dressed for duty and wondered what was going on; she'd been so out of the loop lately due to her ill-timed vacation.

Eddy held a serious look on his face when he explained, "There's been some suspicious activity from G Corp in the Middle East, so we've been ordered to double down on our defenses."

It was no surprise that their enemies were making moves behind the scene, they just had to be one step ahead at all times. It seemed that poor Eddy was dragged into the fray once again to fulfill his deal with Jin despite the obvious reluctance she could read on his features. "So, have you cleared up things with the boss?" she asked curiously. His meeting with Jin was long overdue, and she wondered how he would proceed in the future if the incentive for his services were no longer there.

Surprisingly, he didn't appear to be upset by the topic as he normally would have been in the past. He actually seemed slightly optimistic. "It's better, but not the best," he replied. "As long as my master is improving, then that's all that matters to me now."

Her blue eyes blinked a few times in surprise from his words. She was slightly confused. If that were the case, then why was Jin dreading their meeting beforehand? She was a little skeptical and wanted to question Eddy about the details of the meeting, but she decided it was best to avoid overstepping her boundaries, for now.

An alert beeped from Eddy's phone that demanded his attention. He immediately checked it and looked back up at the blonde. "My team is waiting for me," he announced as he quickly walked towards the door. "I'll catch up with you later."

Nina silently watched him leave through the lobby doors and slowly shook her head. He was a selfless man forced to commit unspeakable things to protect a loved one, the perfect collateral. She tore her thoughts away from her colleague's troubles to focus on her own. She still had a dilemma to resolve.

The blonde turned her attention to the desk in the main lobby. She noticed Jin's jittery secretary quickly averting her eyes away from her and resuming whatever work she was doing at her computer. A plan formed in her mind. Nina casually strode over to the desk, too absorbed in her thoughts to pay attention to the woman. Her eyes zoomed in on the phone on the desk and she remained silent as she continued thinking. 'If my phone is still on, I can call it and track it from the computer once I get a signal, then I can be on my way.'

"Would you like a cup of tea, Miss Williams?" the woman asked in her usual meek manner.

She was slow to remove her attention from the phone before calmly regarding the woman with a blank stare. After registering the question, she rejected the offer with a slow shake of her head. Nina made her way around the desk without a single explanation and quickly reached for the phone and was in the process of dialing before she felt the nervous, intrusive eyes of the secretary fixated on her. The woman was visibly tense from having her space invaded, especially since it was _her,_ the infamous silent assassin and right hand of the newly infamous Jin Kazama. She glared at the woman silently before forcing her frowned lips into a tight, thin smile. "I changed my mind, I would like a cup of tea now," she said stiffly, forcing herself to appear friendly despite her frustration. It must've been an unconvincing display since the poor woman's eyes widened as if death himself had spoken to her. In a clumsy, uncoordinated manner, the woman stood up and shuffled away while muttering about how quickly she'd return.

Now that she had privacy, she stood over the computer and her nimble fingers began typing away as she accessed the necessary page to track down lost or stolen technology. She also quickly dialed her phone number and was anxious about whether it was still on or if someone would answer. The phone, to her surprise, did indeed ring, and she breathed a sigh of relief and was mere moments from hanging up until someone answered.

"Hello?" a man's voice answered cautiously. "May I ask who this is?"

Her stomach sunk and she could hear her heart drumming in her ears and the blood rushed from her face. She was frozen. That British accent rang within her ears and without a doubt, she knew who she was speaking with. She couldn't say anything, in fact, she was nearly too shaken to speak.

"Hey…are you that woman from last night?" the voice inquired cautiously with curiosity. "I didn't mean to find your phone, but if you want it back I can meet you somewhere."

Nina was still too stunned to respond, her racing heart made it difficult for her to breathe. 'Of all people…why?' her thoughts trailed off. 'Fate has a cruel way of fucking me over. Why is this happening to me?' She was beginning to feel unfairly targeted by some cosmic force in the universe that had it out for her.

"Listen, if it _is_ you, do you want your phone back or not?" the voice spoke again, slightly irritable at the lack of response.

With a few deep breaths to soothe her rattled nerves, she finally gave herself the will to speak. "I can track your location and cause very serious trouble for you," she calmly threatened despite her raging emotions. "Leave the phone at a location of my choice and that's all I'll need from you." At all costs, she wanted to avoid having another run in with the boxer. Her mind still wasn't ready to cope with any of this, and she didn't think she'd ever fully be able to come to terms with this predicament.

"If it's all right with you, I'd prefer to see whom I'm returning this phone to," he suggested. "Or I could just turn it in to the police station like I originally planned."

"You'd be wise not to test my patience!" she threatened irritably. "I'm not going to play this game with you!"

"Hmph, it seems like you don't want the authorities involved," he noticed. "Who are you, really?"

"Don't get smart with me, you little shi-" she was abruptly cut off.

"My name is _Steve,"_ he stressed in a firm voice. "It seems I'm holding more cards in my hand at the moment, so will you agree to meet me now?"

There was silence on her end for a moment as she was having an intense internal struggle. This was the very last thing she wanted to encounter in her venture to retrieve her phone. She was now certain that the universe had stacked fated dominoes around her and knocked them down just to watch the chaos that would ensue. She continued to hold the receiver to her ear while she pinched the bridge of her nose to rub away the building tension. She sighed heavily as she realized there was no way around this situation. "Don't move from your current location," she ordered. "I'll be on my way." She stared at the computer screen and observed the GPS with his exact coordinates and location on display.

"Okay, my room number is-"

"I already have that information," she interrupted. "Don't turn the phone off and do not answer a single call after I hang up. Understood?" She narrowed her eyes slightly as she gave him these instructions, hoping he wouldn't do anything foolish with her device.

"Yes, I won't-"

She hung up before he started babbling again, and she took one final glance at the location on the computer before logging out. She was being gracious enough to control her temper and not send her team after him to reclaim her phone. Since she wanted to do this quickly and covertly, she would have to resolve this on her own without the involvement of others; the less people that knew, the better.

He seemed quite adamant about meeting her face to face, and she wondered if he _knew._ Had he connected all the dots and found out the truth somehow? Or was he just suspicious as to why she was so desperate to avoid him the previous night? Either way, the thought of meeting him disturbed her to the point where she nearly felt physically ill; she wasn't prepared for this at all. Truthfully, she didn't want to meet him, speak to him, or truly _see_ him, she felt there was no purpose. What could she possibly say to him? What did he want to say to her if he did indeed know the truth?

Nina stood in place for a while, pondering these troubling thoughts. She was never a coward, _never,_ but she'd rather stand alone on a battlefield and take on a charging army than to come face to face with a part of her past that she permanently tried to bury. She sighed heavily again and took a long, deep breath to relax her tingling nerves. She had to get over this fear and get a move on to head to the rendezvous point. She sharply turned around and was nearly taken aback by a sharp squeal from the woman that was standing behind her.

The woman, in her startlement, had clumsily spilled the hot cup of tea onto herself. She quickly began trying to hold her soaked blouse away from her body to lessen the sting from the hot liquid. Strangely, the secretary began frantically apologizing to her. "I'm sorry, miss Williams, I'll get you another cup!" she pled in a groveling tone.

Nina looked confused for a moment before shaking her mind free from the distraction. Despite feeling slightly responsible for startling the woman, but she didn't have any more time to waste. "I'm sorry," she muttered quickly as she swiftly brushed past the woman and headed towards the elevator. She wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible, like ripping off a band aid. 'I've been avoiding this situation ever since I found out the truth, but I guess this is my punishment for running for so long…I finally have to face this fear,' she realized, attempting to give herself more courage as she set out on this venture.

* * *

End of chapter 29!

Poor Nina can't catch a break! I'm already in the works of finishing up the next chapter! There was so much that I wanted to add to this chapter, but I'm saving it for the next instead. Again, thank you all for your continued interest in this extra long story haha, I'll try to wind it down soon.


	30. Seeds of Mistrust

Hello, everyone! I'm FINALLY back with a new chapter! I got caught up in Halloween madness and couldn't focus, but I finally had time to update. Thanks for waiting! I hope you all enjoy this long chapter!:)

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.**

* * *

Just as he figured, there was nothing he could do to ease his nerves and mental agitation from the harrowing events from last night. There was too much on his mind, and even being surrounded by the comforting space of her room couldn't calm him, so he left. He had other business that needed to be attended to; however, the moment he stepped foot into his office, he became disgusted. His desk was still in disarray from various papers, files, and books that he normally would have tidied up before leaving for the night. He was assaulted with blurry flashbacks of the events that had transpired and instantly felt repulsed, so he had to leave the office immediately.

After deciding to abandon doing any actual work, he thought about retreating to his dojo to mediate and train to strengthen his physical and mental state, but that, too, never came into fruition due to his fatigue and listlessness. It was definitely irresponsible for him to brush aside his duties, but he completely lacked motivation today. This war was on his mind, but it oddly wasn't his top priority for the moment. He needed an escape, but there was none to be had.

It must've been a rare sighting for him to be seen meandering about the building's campus without a clear destination in mind. He always traveled from point A to point B; there were usually no stops in between, but since he felt so lost, he wandered without caring where he ended up. Various employees within the company bowed to him stiffly and nervously as he passed through the halls, and some saluted if they were off duty soldiers. As he boarded the elevator to the lower floors, the employees were respectful, or too frightened, to board with him and waited for the next car. He barely acknowledged anyone, and he didn't recognize faces or remember any names. When he took over the Mishima Zaibatsu, none of those things mattered to him, he had a clear goal in mind and he only cared about achieving it, nothing and no one else mattered. He was certain that, just like his grandfather, his subordinates feared him in the same manner.

Once he was downstairs, he found himself in the main lobby, a floor he commonly skipped to head straight to the garage level since he rarely used the main entrance. It felt strange roaming to other places besides his quarters, his private dojo, or his office, but he needed the walk to clear his mind. Jin stopped near the large windows to survey the grounds outside. Things only seemed quiet now because he had dispatched a good number of units to the Middle East to tighten security around the temple. G Corp had been making silent moves, but knowing Kazuya, he was always up to something. Judging by the growing number of reports concerning the presence of G Corp troops in the area, he knew that he was planning something big. 'I just have to remain one step ahead, he mustn't reach Azazel before I do,' he worried silently. 'This war, G Corp, Azazel, the devil gene, and. ..Nina…I can't keep my thoughts focused on anything at the moment.' There was so much on his plate at once that he didn't know where to begin in attempting to resolve anything.

"Um, it must be a stressful day for everyone," a small voice spoke.

Jin turned around slowly to look at the beholder of the timid voice, surprised that anyone had the audacity to speak to him directly. Upon looking at the face of the woman behind the desk, he recognized her as the secretary responsible for taking his calls and preparing his morning refreshments; however, he did not know her name. He remained silent as he subjected her to the scrutiny of his gaze, noting that on this particular day she appeared to look quite slovenly. Her blouse was soiled with an unsightly, wet stain, and he figured she had a clumsy mishap, which wasn't out of the ordinary considering her history. She must've noticed him observing her appearance with disdain because she began babbling nervously again.

The woman tried to cover the stain on her blouse by quickly crossing her arms. "Oh, this? I…um accidentally bumped into Miss Williams a moment ago," she needlessly explained, feeling pressured by his emotionless, blank stare.

He nearly raised a brow at her rambling. He assumed that Nina had left to run her errand once she hurried from her quarters, which was nearly an hour ago. What was the secretary talking about? "How long ago?" he questioned her with a calm intensity in his eyes. He could almost visibly see the woman trembling nervously as she sat at her desk.

"Oh…u-um about ten minutes ago," she stammered. "She seemed really stressed or upset about something after making a call from my desk...before quickly leaving." The woman sunk her teeth into her bottom lip, wondering if she had done something wrong by revealing that information.

'What errand did she have to run? She did seem stressed earlier, so much so that even others can visibly see it as well,' he pondered, trying to piece together the clues. 'This is so unlike her…something must've happened.' Jin shoved his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out his phone to contact his bodyguard. His finger hovered over the call button before he began having strange doubts. He suddenly began to feel suspicious and decided that he'd find out the truth using his own methods. He began pressing a few buttons on the touch screen.

After a few moments, his brown eyes narrowed in suspicion as he received the search results. 'She's at a hotel in the city…?' he thought in confusion. How did she arrive at that location so quickly and what purpose did she have to go there? His mind was cluttered with confusing thoughts, and he decided to investigate this issue further. Using his phone, he made a quick call to get to the bottom of things.

A soldier from his secret service answered, "Yes, Master Kazama, how may I assist you, sir?"

"Track Nina Williams' phone and send a team to report her activity to me, " he commanded. Without hesitation, the soldier agreed to execute the order and ended the call to complete his newly assigned mission.

Jin lowered his eyes to the phone in his hand and exhaled. Perhaps he was being hasty in his approach to this situation, but her peculiar behavior as of late was making him a bit paranoid. She had been restless and agitated for quite a while now, and he wondered if she had been carefully planning to find her way out of his web of madness. He couldn't blame her. It still hadn't been a full twenty four hours since he had sunk his teeth into her hand and attacked her. Underneath her well kept façade of compliance and understanding, perhaps she had finally grown weary of dealing with him and his never-ending string of issues. He wondered if there were others under his rule who were secretly planning to escape or rebel against him. Lately, he felt that he was losing he handle on things; the war was at a stalemate, he had trouble suppressing the devil gene recently, and he was having trouble accepting the person he'd become just to keep his head afloat to compete with his adversaries in this deadly game of war. He felt the walls closing in on him.

 _'You're all alone…'_

Jin could hear a faint echo in his thoughts, like a distant, faraway voice speaking to him.

 _'No one trusts you…she doesn't trust you…you shouldn't trust her…'_ the voice continued goading him. _'You should have let me kill her.'_

He cringed and shook his head as he tried to focus his energy to banish his corrupt thoughts. 'I can't shake these negative thoughts lately…I feel _his_ influence over me growing stronger everyday,' he thought with despondency. 'This is exactly what the demon wants…he's slowly driving me into madness and disconnecting me from reality.' He was at a lost about what he could do to ease his suffering; he needed a quicker remedy besides relying on the climax of this war. Jin inhaled and exhaled deeply in a few slow intervals to banish his dark thoughts away. He was stronger than this.

"M-Mr. Kazama, can I get you anything?" the woman behind the desk asked nervously. Hopefully, she didn't cause any trouble for anyone by recklessly blurting out that information to her superior.

Jin snapped out of his troubled thoughts and quickly replaced his slight look of worry with his usual mask of disconnected aloofness. He calmly dismissed the woman's offer with a blank stare as he left the lobby to retreat back to the place where he could find privacy and solitude, his office. He would patiently wait to receive updates from his team, but until then, he anticipated to get some reading done to distract himself from his thoughts.

* * *

The ride into the city had been less troublesome than it was the last time she'd taken the trip. Honestly, she wished for miles of a horrific traffic jam to delay her arrival to her destination to give herself more time. She periodically checked her GPS to track her phone and watched as her arrival time and distance from the hotel slowly decreased as the seconds passed. It was then that her mind began to conjure up several devious plans to find a way to weasel her way out of this situation to avoid coming face to face with…that _boy._

In one scenario, she envisioned herself potentially using a chemical agent to render him unconscious, therefore eliminating the need to have any direct contact with him to simply retrieve her phone. It may have been a bit callous, but it would be quick, easy, and far less stressful for her. In another hypothetical situation, she wouldn't be hesitant to just storm into the room and exercise physical violence to complete the task. In the past, she never had any issues with using violence to resolve her conflicts; however, doing so in this situation seemed to be…overreacting or immoral. Morality, something she would hardly care about taking into consideration, was something that was now making a major impact on her decision making. Various schemes and conflicting thoughts kicked around in her mind as she drove in silence. It wasn't long before she finally arrived to her destination downtown and parallel parked her car across the street from the hotel.

Even after she turned the ignition off, she just sat in her vehicle silently with her hands perfectly perched on the steering wheel at ten and two. It was now or never, all she had to do was go inside, meet with him, and claim her phone. Her heart began drumming nervously as her apprehensions began resurfacing as she thought about how their meeting would turn out. Would she finally be able to muster up the courage to divulge everything she knew to him, or would she attempt to keep her identity shrouded in ambiguity? She drew in a slow, steady breath to help mentally prepare herself for this moment. Nina turned her head to look through the window of her car and stared at the hotel across the street with a faraway expression.

The hotel front was almost similar to the one she had staked out near almost two years prior when she had set her sights on a particular target, the very young man she was gearing up to meet with in a few minutes. She wondered how different things would have turned out if she followed through with her mission and pulled the trigger. The pay out would have been great, but would that price be enough to stave off a guilty conscience that would eat away at her for the rest of her days? Would she have felt guilt at all?

Until this day, she still didn't understand what had compelled her to change her mind at the last minute. Even after she had received the complete intel from the mafia the previous night, she still forced herself to get over her initial shock of her morbid connection to her target and complete her mission as planned. She didn't sleep well that night after having such a heavy weight dropped onto her shoulders, but she still convinced herself that _he_ had to be eliminated. He was the lone survivor of a perverse scientific experiment that should have never existed in the first place; she tried to convince herself that she'd be doing him a favor, and she would have been relieved to erase his existence as well, so it'd be a win-win situation.

Despite the very long, mentally taxing night she had grappling with those ideas, when she finally had him lined up in her cross hairs with her finger firmly gripping the trigger, she froze. Seeing his face with her eyes through the scope of her rifle made her feel sick. It was a feeling that she still didn't understand or couldn't explain in words; it was that same feeling that forced her to not put a bullet through his brain and the same feeling that repelled her from him. What is guilt? Regret? Pain? Sympathy? _Love?_ Whatever it was, it wasn't love, she was sure of that, for the only person she could remember herself loving was her father. Besides that, she didn't believe that she was capable of love.

Nina felt a certain tightness balling up within her chest as she opened those old wounds in her memories. She released her grip from the steering wheel and raised her hand to her temples to lightly massage away the tension. 'I'm here now…there's no turning back,' she thought as she woefully gazed at the hotel. 'I've never been this nervous before in my life, but I'm also anxious to just get this over with.'

In the midst of her mental pep talk, she snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed a small group of Tekken Force soldiers disembarking from a vehicle and congregating outside the hotel. Nina narrowed her eyes in confusion as she focused in on the men while unconsciously lowering herself in her seat, almost forgetting that they probably wouldn't notice her anyway due to the tinted windows on her vehicle. She wondered what business they had there. Normally, they would be patrolling the area, a measure they took to establish and maintain order and control since crime rates and violence had drastically increased since the war started, but it seemed like they were called to this location for a particular purpose. Was there an incident occurring inside? Perhaps there was a disgruntled hotel guest that needed to be escorted from the grounds, but that was hardly a matter that required assistance from armed military forces. The curious blonde peered across the street and watched as the group of four soldiers entered the building while one remained on guard outside as he appeared to be speaking with someone through his earpiece.

'Why the hell are they here? They seem to be receiving direct orders, but from whom?' she pondered curiously as she continued to surveil the scene. For safety measures, she decided to assess the situation thoroughly before making her next move.

* * *

By late afternoon, his attention began waning from his reading. He was already midway through Kafka's _Metamorphosis_ before the team he had dispatched earlier began contacting him about updated reports regarding their mission. He connected his earpiece to his ear to begin listening in on their progress and give them new directives if needed. Jin didn't know what he expected, but his main objective was for them to locate Nina to report her activity and to have her report in to him immediately. However, it seemed there was something else amidst. They had arrived to her location and infiltrated the hotel, but it took a moment for them to report back in with recent updates.

Strangely, he was beginning to feel anxious about the situation, and somehow he began feeling regret for his over hasty approach, but his mind had planted a seed of doubt that drove him to act irrationally for a moment. He sat at his desk with his elbows propped on his desk with his hands folded in front of his mouth as he impatiently waited for updates. After a few more moments of silence, he heard a transmission through his earpiece.

"Sir!" the man's report pierced his ear, nearly startling him. "We have a situation!"

Jin's eyes widened a bit as the squad leader informed him of this. "What is it?" he asked sternly.

"We arrived to the GPS signal and requested entry into the room, but after the occupant's refusal, we had to use force."

Jin was slightly baffled by the report. He had told them to simply track her location and report her activity, not engage or use deadly force. His heart thumped a little harder as he became even more agitated from the information he received. Before he could scold the soldier, he continued with another report.

"After forcing the door down, we discovered a young male in the room," the soldier continued reporting. "He appears to be in possession of Nina Williams' phone."

"A young man?" he muttered in a low voice. None of this was making sense to him at the moment, and he began doubting the details of the report. He narrowed his eyes and sighed heavily. 'A lost phone…a hotel room…a young male…?' he pondered gravely as he tried to piece together the information in his head. Before he could do so, more reports came in. Now, on the other end, he could hear a loud commotion in the background as the soldier attempted to give him more updates.

"The suspect is now using brute force, we must engage!" he informed his superior in an excitable tone. "Should we subdue or terminate him, sir!?"

He had to make a swift decision with little to no time to formally assess the situation. Who was the young man? Was he an agent of G Corp? Had something happened to Nina? Or was she secretly meeting with this man to provide him with inside information? His mind was reeling as his heart thumped erratically as he tried to focus and give a proper order to the team.

"Sir! We were finally able to subdue the suspect with a stun rod, but he nearly took down the entire team in an attempt to resist detainment!"

Jin closed his eyes and breathed a silent sigh of relief as the situation was resolved without having to intervene with his own decision. After all, these soldiers were far more experienced at handling situations like this than he was, so he was glad that he trusted their instincts. After his nerves calmed down, he asked, "Were you able to detain and question him? Where's Nina?"

"Miss Williams is no where in sight, and we're running checks on the suspect now that he's unconscious," the soldier replied.

Even with all of these scattered puzzle pieces handed to him, he still couldn't place them together to figure out what was going on. He didn't expect any of this to happen, he thought this would be a simple mission to track down his bodyguard, but things became unexpectedly complicated. He still tried to understand how that man had gotten a hold of her phone, and most importantly, he was worried about Nina's involvement in all of this. 'I need to stop jumping to these strange conclusions…I need to relax and focus,' he thought as he nervously awaited for more information from the team to ease his paranoia.

"Sir, we ran a quick background check on the man and discovered some shocking results,' he paused before continuing. "The man appears to be registered under the code name 'NT01', a rogue test subject from the Mishima Laboratory!"

Jin remained silent. That code name forced him to recede into his thoughts. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily as everything slowly started to make sense. From his in depth and detailed research on Nina, he had come across everything concerning her past activities within the Mishima Lab. He knew everything about those heinous experiments and was even considering reopening research about it at one point to see if it would lead him to more information about the devil gene. That code number revealed a very shocking detail about her past, about what had been done to her, and it revealed how twisted his family truly was. Being sympathetic to her plight, he never mentioned it or questioned her about her past, even during the vetting process before he enlisted her for her services. Even after they'd become more _open_ with one another over time, she never discussed anything concerning that matter, and he never deigned to attempt to ask her about it out of respect for her boundaries. 'Nina…is this what she was hiding from me? She should have just told me instead of keeping this a secret,' he thought as he slipped into a pensive mood.

"Sir? Are you still there?" the soldier chimed in through the earpiece. "More information has come through. Subject NT01 was wanted under suspicion of arson at a research facility, which resulted in the termination of the super soldier experiment. We're taking him into custody."

"No," he asserted strongly. "It's done, there's no need for him now." This situation was already messy enough, and he already felt guilty for adding even more confusion to everything.

"Are you sure you want to let him off the hook, sir?" the soldier asked with uncertainty about his decision.

As always, he loathed having his authority questioned. "Do as I say, and remember to return with the device," he ordered coldly. "That is all." With that, he pushed a button on the earpiece to end the connection and removed it from his ear. He sat back into his leather chair and brought his hand to his face as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He executed this mission and his primary goal still remained unfulfilled. He still had no idea where Nina had gone or when she'd return, but when she did, he needed to have a long talk with her.

* * *

Things definitely weren't turning out as she envisioned they would. She figured all she had to do was quickly rendezvous with the boxer, answer his questions with vague answers and lies, and make her way back so that she could check on her employer's well being. This, however, was an unprecedented turn of events. After observing from her car, she finally saw an opportunity to enter the hotel without being spotted by the team of Tekken Force soldiers. The soldier posted by the entrance seemed to have been called into action and swiftly entered the building, and it was then that she approached the hotel and entered as surreptitiously and inconspicuously as possible. Hopefully, from the surveillance footage she would appear as nothing more than a normal patron.

The commotion from the presence of the soldiers had commanded the attention from other guests in the main lobby as well as any staff members who spectated with curiosity and fear. This had allowed her to casually enter the stairwell and swiftly make her way up to the third floor. As she exited the stairwell, it didn't take long to pinpoint where all the action was occurring. She carefully and cautiously traversed down the long corridor, having no trouble appearing as a normal guest since there were other hotel guests peering out their doors to see what was happening; however, it wasn't long before they retreated back into their rooms in cowardice to avoid any involvement.

By the time she reached the end of the hall, she quickly pressed her back against the wall and discreetly looked around the corner and watched as a group of soldiers poured from the hotel room she was supposed to visiting, a few of them limping and hunched over in pain. She was perplexed about what business they had with the boxer. She knew next to nothing about him besides whatever she had procured from her own research in the past. Was he somehow still being tracked by the Mishima Zaibatsu? Were they going to take him back to the laboratory? That question answered itself since she didn't see the soldiers with him in their custody as they walked in the opposite direction of her position to head back to the elevator. Still, her stomach was turning slightly from what she would uncover once she approached the room.

Once the coast was clear, she left her cover and slowly made her way to room 302 with a beating heart and her hair standing on end. Her heeled boots stepped over chunks of wood pieces scattered across the carpeted floor as she stood near the aperture into the room. She took a deep breath before cautiously spying into the room; her eyes widened slightly in shock. A young blond male was splayed face downwards on the floor surrounded by various broken furniture pieces and other objects from the altercation.

A barely audible gasp escaped from her lips as she fully observed the scene before her, completely speechless. She hesitantly took a few steps into the room as she felt oddly compelled to move closer to the injured boxer. Her eyes fell upon him as her heart continued rapidly pumping in her chest while she tried to debate what she should do next as she approached him more closely. Her eyes never left him as she very slowly knelt down beside him and outstretched her hand to attempt to wake him or assess the severity of his condition. Her hand slowly reached towards his shoulder and was mere moments from making contact until the young man groaned lowly as he slowly came back into consciousness.

Nina retracted away from him and stood to her height as she took a few steps back. He coughed a few times as he slowly peeled his face up from the floor. As a career boxer, she figured that it was completely possible for him to bounce back quickly from a knockout with no trouble, and it seemed that he would be fine after a few moments. As he lifted his head upwards, she had to fight the urge to turn away from him to avoid his gaze. When she finally saw his face, she was shocked to see his right eye nearly closing with a bloody gash above his eyebrow. Her stomach turned again. 'Those bastards clearly didn't exercise restraint when handling him,' she thought irritably. 'Why the hell were they here in the first place?'

The blond boxer slowly opened his eyes as he glanced around at his surroundings with blurred vision until they landed on the figure of the blonde woman standing in the room and silently staring down at him. He was confused for a moment before his groggy thoughts cleared up and recalled everything. His lip curled into a weak sneer. "Y-You…it was you…" he spoke to her in a low voice laced with anger and pain. "Why did…you lie to me?"

The blonde assassin felt uneasy as he spoke to her. She was confused about what he was talking about but decided to hear him out.

The young man propped himself up weakly on his elbows as he glared up at the woman. "I told you that I would give you your damn phone, but you still sent your goons to jump me just to get it back!" he yelled accusingly. "You…you work for the Mishima Zaibatsu…"

Nina felt like a deer frozen in headlights as he angrily hurled these accusations at her. She would have interrupted him to clear things up about the misunderstanding, but what would be the purpose? Perhaps it was best that he viewed her as a villain, and hopefully this would deter him from any future attempts of tracking her down, for his own safety. She lowered her eyes from him as he continued to gaze at her contemptuously.

"I don't know who the hell you are, but you're nothing but trouble!" he declared angrily. He was now certain about her identity, she was the woman from the hotel that day he was nearly snuffed out by the mafia. She was an albatross. "Stay away from me…just go!"

She was at a loss for words. Things shouldn't have turned out this way, but things were out of her control. Her lips parted slightly as she attempted to say something, and she even noticed the slight anticipation on his face despite him previously yelling at her to leave. Whatever she wanted to say had choked itself in her throat and nothing came forth from her lips. This was it; this was all there was and should be of this troubled relationship. Nina turned away from him and faced the doorway. She could hear more commotion from down the hall as she figured that the hotel staff had finally called for help once the Tekken Force left the premises. It was best for her to leave before she was deemed as a suspect or witness, neither of which she had patience for dealing with at the moment.

She glanced over her shoulder at the blond boxer one last time before sighing softly to herself and vacating the room. 'I'm sorry...Steve…'

* * *

It wasn't until nightfall that he finally received a report from the security gates informing him of his bodyguard's return. He told them to notify him immediately because he didn't want to delay the discussion they needed to have like he had done concerning other matters in the past. It was best if they resolved this now to avoid tension between them because time was too valuable to waste being at odds with each other. However, her temperament was unpredictable, and he didn't know how she'd react to being confronted.

After a few more minutes of waiting alone in his dimmed office, he heard the door to his office beep before it opened. The raven haired man drew in a breath as he intently watched the blonde woman stroll in with her usual withdrawn air about her. He was prepared for her to come in livid and in an argumentative mood, but so far she seemed restrained. He waited until she stopped about five feet from his desk before he addressed her. The assassin calmly glared at him in silence; she appeared to be dejected or upset, possibly both. "Well," his deep voice broke the silence as he sat back into his chair and never broke eye contact from her. "Explain yourself." He could see her briefly roll her eyes as she slowly crossed her arms.

Nina wasn't in the mood for any of what he had in store for her tonight. The cherry on top of an already very bad day was being informed that she had to immediately report to his office as she cleared security. She was emotionally drained and had no gusto to discuss anything or argue with him this evening, so she would allow him to chew her out before retreating to her quarters to rinse away the memories of this horrid day. She sighed heavily as she focused her blue eyes on his dark brown gaze. "I went to take care of some personal business," she finally spoke in a flat tone. "I don't see how that's anything to get yourself worked up over."

He already felt a tinge of anger building within him from her dismissive response. He casually reached into the pocket of his slacks and pulled her phone from it before quickly tossing it towards the woman. As expected, she had no trouble catching the phone with her cat-like reflexes. "You thought it was best to deceive me just to hide your secret? All of this could have been avoided if you would have been open to discussing this with me."

Nina clenched the phone in her hand and continued to glare at him angrily. It was now that she felt her infamous temper bubbling within her. Earlier, she had a sneaking suspicion that he was behind that impromptu operation at the hotel, but she didn't want to jump the gun and blame anyone until she had concrete evidence. Even so, she still exercised great restraint to control her temper. "My personal business doesn't concern you or anyone else," she warned in a slightly menacing tone. "You've crossed the line."

Admittedly, he was somewhat offended by her cold response. He didn't understand why she seemed so upset with him. He knew that it was a sensitive topic for her, but he still wanted to clear the air and understand what was troubling her. Besides, he didn't mind distracting himself from his own unresolvable issues to help her with her own; however, he would have to tread very lightly. He sighed in frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose before saying, "Listen…I didn't mean to interfere, and I take full responsibility for what happened to Ste-"

"Don't…" she interjected sharply as she slowly shook her head. She didn't want to hear him speak that name to her at the moment. "I don't want to talk about this!" Nina desperately wanted to avoid this topic; dwelling on it wasn't doing anything positive for her mental and emotional stability.

"Why are you so upset about this?" he questioned her. "Did you _truly_ want to see him?"

"Why do you think you can meddle in my private affairs?" she countered with a fervent anger burning within her cold gaze. "This didn't concern you and you should have let me handle this on my own!"

"When your private affairs begin interfering with your contractual terms and obligations, then it becomes my business," he reminded her in a brusque tone with a straight face.

"Fuck the contract, Jin!" she fired back at him irately. "You had no right to do this!" The blonde assassin clenched her fists by her side as she took a step forward.

Jin finally sat forward in his chair as she became increasingly angry with him. He already accepted responsibility for his part in the mishap, but it seemed that she wanted to project her anger unto him regardless without admitting her own faults in the matter. "If you were honest with me, none of this would have happened," he reminded and berated her once again.

She was beginning to reach her breaking point. When she became angry, everything and anyone around her was at risk of facing her wrath, which is why it was imperative that she had time to isolate herself and cool off so that she could confront difficult situations in a more rational and levelheaded state of mind. Every word he spoke to her was pushing her further into the red zone, and what she spoke next was evidence of that. "Don't you dare sit there and lecture me about _honesty!"_ she hissed snidely. "You're a liar, and you still didn't have the guts to tell Eddy the truth."

His brown eyes stretched open a bit in shock from her words. He was taken aback and wondered how she found out that information. He'd been quietly coping with that shame and never intended on telling her about that meeting. He exhaled and lowered his eyes for a moment as he fell silent.

"So, it's true?" Nina scoffed with a small shake of her head. She couldn't believe that he actually sunk so low to deceive a comrade; she then wondered if she was completely exempt from his deceit. His silence confirmed that he was indeed caught in his lie. Not only that, she was still none too happy about his interference in her personal affairs.

A few moments passed of nothing but pure silence looming over the dim office; the tension was heavy, nearly suffocating as they both were forced to reflect on the hurtful things they spoke to each other. Nina took a few deep breaths and let her eyes wander to the calming backdrop of the sparkling city lights through the windows behind. She placed her face in the palm of her hand and tried to calm herself. There were so many emotions coursing through her at the moment that she felt like she was ready to shut down.

The past few days had been hell for them, and things weren't getting any better. The darkness within him was stirring more actively, and he began to suspect that it was bubbling over and tainting his relationships with the people around him. His anger felt displaced at times, but he couldn't control it. In his mind, there were more venomous words formulating in his head, and he could feel the _devil's_ compulsion to spew more hatred and hurtful words to the woman before him, but he bit his tongue to prevent himself from further jeopardizing his relationship with his bodyguard. He was torn from his thoughts when he heard the soft thuds of her heels against the floor retreating away from him. He looked up and saw her as she walked towards the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" his voice cut through the silence.

"I need space," she answered as she headed to the door.

He narrowed his eyes, peeved at her vague answer. "What makes you think you can leave so freely after what happened today?" he mentioned in a terse tone. "You're lucky I'm not suspending you."

The blonde paused and glanced over her shoulder at him with an unamused expression. It seemed he was in a pugnacious mood this evening, and with her fiery temper, she knew nothing good would come from engaging in his attempts to anger her. "Don't be an asshole," she said disdainfully with a frown. "I'll come back when I feel I'm ready to deal with you." She left and the door closed shut behind her.

After she finally left, he exhaled heavily and ran his fingers through his dark locks, tussling them as he rubbed his head in frustration. He didn't know how to deal with the contumacious woman, but it was probably for the best that he give her time to cool off since they were on the cusp of an argument. It had been a tough day, but probably even more so for her due to her ill fated reunion with her son. Actually, he didn't know how to define their dilemma, and it wasn't his place to do so. He reacted prematurely to the situation and allowed his doubts and paranoid thoughts to be further manipulated by _his_ influence.

Jin hung his head low with a restless sigh as he reflected on his actions. Was that truly the case, or was he using that as a scapegoat for his own immoral behavior lately? His two halves seemed to be converging lately, and he desperately had to get his mind right to prevent that from happening at all costs. The world was already suffering from his own actions to establish order with chaotic methods, but a future ruled by an evil being who openly wanted chaos wouldn't be livable for anyone.

* * *

End of chapter 30!

Whew! This was originally going to be two chapters, but I wanted the next chapter to stand alone. So...Nina took on a 'private mission' without permission; Jin let his paranoia get the best of him; poor Steve got caught in the middle (Note: Based on T7, I'm still writing under the premise that Steve hasn't fully uncovered who Nina is, even though from all the proof from T4, he should already know, but Namco decided to backtrack). Both Jin and Nina have some faults in this messy situation, but hopefully they can forgive and forget. The next chapter will be _intense...:)_


	31. Her Wicked Game

Happy new year everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays. Sorry for the extremely late update, but it was nearly impossible to focus on writing once holiday season was in full swing. So, I decided to make up for it with this super deluxe, extra _special_ chapter lol. Enjoy! ;)

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. They are all property of Namco.**

* * *

The past few days had been tightly scheduled for them. Once their employer had set his new plans in motion, they had been working tirelessly to keep up with his demands and expectations for them. In a way, it felt like punishment for any of their past failures or shortcomings and, they were proving their worth once again to gain their superior's favor. Everything seemed to have moved into overdrive, and they all wondered what was next to come.

This wasn't her ideal setting at all. Whenever she had visited a destination with hotter climates, she was usually laid out on a beach chair beneath an umbrella with a frosty, fruity cocktail within close reach. So far, she had been able to perform her duties without being too 'hands on', but it seemed that she had been thrown into the trenches with the rest of the common dogs. The heat was sweltering and the sun was brutal, but that was to be expected in the middle of the desert where they had been ordered to set up a base for not so apparent reasons.

The brunette sighed in exhaustion as she stood in the military tent to get some reprieve from the blistering sun, but even the shaded tent did nothing to shield her from the suffocating heat. She sat down in a nearby chair and began fanning herself with the map in her hand. She was supposed to be reviewing over the marked locations to send scouters to investigate, but not knowing exactly what they were supposed to be looking for decreased her urgency for the task. Kazuya loved to shroud his plans in mystery, and she wished she understood more about his motives, but once again she convinced herself to stay in her place. Even so, she couldn't help but to wonder.

Not too far from the tent she was stationed in, she heard a vehicle driving up and coming to a halt. She turned towards the opening of the tent and peered out to see who had just arrived. Upon seeing the man disembark, she clicked her tongue in annoyance. It was the last person she wanted to see and be bothered with at the moment.

The man strolled into the tent casually and dropped a crate down onto the sandy ground. He wiped sweat from his brow with his forearm and exhaled heavily. "Damn, it's hot as hell out today!" he exclaimed as he walked over to the water carafe and poured a cup.

The brunette ignored his obvious observation and continued to fan herself quietly. She wondered what he'd been up to for the last few hours but didn't ask because she knew he loved to run his mouth incessantly and would tell her eventually. After finishing the first cup of water, he poured another before sitting on the crate and staring at her with an amused smirk. She had already mentally prepped herself to endure his rapier tongue.

"What's the matter, princess?" Bruce taunted. "Don't like sand between your toes?" He could see that she drastically switched up her style of dress after being stuck in the heat for the past few days. She traded in her fancy, revealing dresses and heels for more practical gear, a standard G Corp uniform with combat boots. He could tell she didn't want her fair skin blistering in the sun by the way she avoided manual labor outdoors.

She scowled in annoyance. "Give it a rest and just tell me what you found!" she requested with a huff. "The sooner we find whatever it is we're looking for, the sooner we can leave this hell hole." She was dying to take a cold shower and check into a hotel and at least take in some sights before leaving.

Bruce chuckled slightly after successfully getting a rise out of her. She was so easily annoyed and seeing her taken out of her element only made her an easy target for him. "Just another day or so and you'll be laying nude by the poolside in no time," he teased again. "Just give him more time to give us more clues."

She stopped fanning herself and glared at him in annoyance. "Clues? What do you mean by 'clues'?" she asked in exasperation. "He launched this entire operation based on hunches and clues and we're not even sure what we're trying to find?"

Bruce shrugged. "Don't bark at me, I'm just following orders," he dismissed. "Heh, you can ask Kazuya for yourself when he returns from the desert."

"You left him out there alone?" she asked in disbelief. "What is he doing?"

"The hell if I know!" he shot back. "He just told me to stop the jeep and got out and told me to return to base. He's a Mishima, you know how strange they can be at times."

Of course she knew about their dark family history and cursed bloodline, in fact, it was one of the reasons why she was drawn to working for a man like Kazuya. However, she had never seen him or the true manifestation of his power, but she was aware of the gossip swirling about him that alluded to what he truly was. She wondered if this war extended beyond a father and son quarrel and there was something more supernatural at hand. She was still upset at how she still didn't understand his plans so far into the game.

"All I know is that we're planning a siege on the bases the Mishima Zaibatsu, and we have a few tricks to turn the tides in our favor," he revealed with a confident smirk. "So, you better get your beauty rest tonight to prepare yourself." With that said, Bruce stood to his height once again and headed back outside into the unforgiving heat.

Anna sighed in frustration as she sat back and reflected on everything happening so far. She only sighed up to help him with his endeavors just to have a little fun ruffling her sister's feathers, but now she was beginning to feel that she was in way over her head. However, she wasn't one to bail when things got tough, and besides that, she wanted to see how this all turned out. 'Kazuya and Jin, I wonder if they realize how high the stakes are now,' she mused. 'At this point, it's evident that neither of them care and the world is just their chess board.' With that grim thought, she continued on with her mundane duties to fulfill her boss' orders.

* * *

 _In spite of her many efforts to convince others of the truth, the horrific truth about everything she had been experiencing, it only served to do her more harm than good. Her audience had hung onto every word she spoke, and with each word, their pens scribbled furiously on the paper to document her wild tales of a horned beast and the invisible entity trying to invade her mind. Due to her resistance to leave her quarters and visit the hospital, her skeptical sibling had demanded that the 'specialists' make an emergency house call. After they interviewed her and left her in peace, she could still hear their hushed voices echoing loudly down the hall as they continued speaking about her condition in her absence._

 _One word, just one word kept jumping out throughout their conversation that nearly made her stomach churn with anxiety as they repeated it._

 _"Schizophrenia…?" the blonde murmured to herself as she curled up on her bed in the fetal position. Was it true? Was everything she was experiencing due to her newly diagnosed ailment? The dreams, voices, glowing red eyes, and evil black mist; they were all just imagined by her warped sense of reality?_

 _She continued to pick up traces of their conversation and silently prayed that she wouldn't be forced to swallow yet another pill. What else could they do to help her now? She had given up hope and decided that she would let them do whatever was necessary at this point. The sound of their front door opening and closing could be heard, and later she heard footsteps approaching the door to her room. The door opened with a soft click and she could hear the brunette sigh heavily with disappointment._

 _"I tried my best, but there's nothing I can do," she admitted in a low voice. "I tried to vouch for you, but with all of your symptoms and reckless behavior, they're convinced that you need intensive psychiatric treatment at this point."_

 _"Get to the point," the blonde muttered lazily as she kept her back turned to her. She heard the woman sigh again._

 _"Starting tomorrow, they're going to have you checked into the research facility for closer observation and treatment," she revealed in a somber tone. "It's the only solution at this point…"_

 _It was then that the blonde turned over in bed to look at the woman. Oddly, she couldn't understand the look of guilt displayed on her face. Why would she be guilty? If she had only believed her, then it wouldn't have come to any of this. A strange yet very dangerous idea suddenly sparked in her mind. She sat up alertly and abruptly, which caused the brunette to flinch in surprise._

 _"I'll show you once and for all that I'm not lying…"she spoke cryptically. With that, she pushed herself up from the bed and headed out her room, brushing past the confused brunette in the process._

 _"Where are you going?!" she questioned as she followed the blonde as she walked through the apartment until she arrived at a small closet in the hall. "What the hell are you doing?" Her behavior always kept her on edge. It was at the point where she didn't feel comfortable living with her due to her violent mood swings and erratic, unpredictable behavior. She watched as the blonde shuffled around in the closet as if she were furiously searching for something until she reemerged with a pistol in her hand. It was an old pistol that belonged to their father._

 _The blonde glared at the woman intently as she gripped the pistol tightly in her hand. She'd discovered it a while back as she snooped around their apartment for old memorabilia from her past, hoping to recover some of her memories. "I'll show you…" she repeated calmly with an intense tone._

 _The younger woman's face contorted with a look of shock and horror as she watched the blonde lift the gun to the temple of her head. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she watched the maniacal woman held the pistol to her head threateningly. "P-please don't do that…"she begged with desperation and fear in her voice. "Just listen…I'll talk with the doctors…I won't let them take you away if you put the gun down." She tried her best to bargain with the woman, even if it meant lying. It was clear as day that she was mentally ill and needed immediate treatment._

 _"No…I don't believe you," she protested with a slow shake of her head as tears welled in her eyes. "I just need you to believe me…please..." A loud bang echoed throughout the apartment with a deafening scream emitting from the woman in front of her._

 _Everything went black as she hit the floor with a loud thud._

* * *

A loud, thunderous boom echoed in her head, forcing her to jolt upwards from her slumber, filled with anxiety and dread lingering in her memories. It had been a long time since she had such a violent nightmare, and she just sat erect in the bed as she waited for the tension that had built inside her to dissipate. She tiredly raised her hand to her temple to rub away at a phantom pain. That was such a grim dream, or memory, that she secretly hoped that somehow it wasn't a real occurrence from her past. The memories of her past that she could recall were so unnerving that it was no wonder why she kept them locked away. 'These damned nightmares…I can't find peace even in sleep.' the blonde woman thought in distress.

After shaking away the shock of that awful nightmare, she whipped her head around in the dark room, habitually searching for a clock. She couldn't find one. Once the grogginess from her sleep cleared, she realized that she wasn't in the familiar surroundings of her quarters at the Mishima Zaibatsu headquarters. The room was much smaller and so was the bed she was lying on. She then recalled that she had left her quarters in a fit of anger and went on a short night ride before she returned to the apartment she resided in before her employment with the Mishima Zaibatsu. For reasons unbeknownst to herself at the time, she thought it'd be useful to keep paying rent at the apartment just in case she needed a backup residence if things went left in her future endeavors. Then, she didn't know how she'd fit in working for a multimillion dollar corporation that was on the brink of starting a world war, so she thought it'd be wise not to put all her eggs into one basket.

She reached for the phone on the nightstand to take a quick glance at the time; it was so early in the morning that it was still dark outside. She dropped the phone back onto the nightstand carelessly before flopping back down on the bed. That damned device only served to dust off dirt on a bad memory that she hadn't fully buried yet. She didn't understand her reaction to that situation, and somehow that only made her more upset. Illogical emotions challenged her sense of judgment and controlling herself, which was probably the reason why she had projected some of those misplaced emotions onto Jin. By no means was he off the hook for what he'd done, she was still very upset, but at least she was able to recognize some of her faults in the mix up after isolating herself from him and the entire situation.

Nina sighed as she lazily pulled the covers over her head and attempted to go back to sleep. The longer she stayed awake, the more she thought of _him._ She couldn't shake that hateful glare he gave her with his battered face from her mind. Looking into his face and his eyes was like staring into a mirror and having her humanity judged and tested. Had she failed? Once again, a sickness inducing anxiety welled inside her as she continued to think of the boxer. She drew in a long breath and held it until she was forced to breathe again. She shut her eyes tightly and tried to slip back into a deep slumber. She had to do what she knew best to cope with situations like this; repress her memories until they were buried into the darkest, deepest recesses of her mind. Soon, she'd forget all about him again until he became nothing but a distant memory.

* * *

Something ominous was amidst. Whether it was the cursed blood on his father's side, or the pure blood from his mother's side, something within him stirred with unrest. During his rest, he had a strange, disjointed vision invading his dream; the blaring sun shining over rolling sand dunes and a lone man trudging through the desert in search of something. Undoubtedly, he knew this feeling came about because of Kazuya. Whenever the devil within his father stirred, his own demon reacted as well. What is he planning? 'He's getting closer to uncovering the temple…' he thought worriedly. 'Is he really planning on destroying Azazel?'

 _'He won't succeed,'_ the demon within him spoke. _'Only I can fully destroy it.'_

Jin narrowed his eyes as the beast within him spoke to him. 'You've stated that several times now,' he responded. 'Even so, I don't need anything from you.'

The demon within him laughed mockingly. _'You're blindly confident in your abilities, but without me you'd be long dead,'_ the demon reminded. _'You need me…you won't succeed without my power.'_

He didn't respond anymore, and soon enough the voice retreated. The demon's tactics always resorted to coercing him into a Faustian bargain, but he refused to take the same path as his father in exchange for power. However, time was ticking. His sources in the middle east had informed him of G Corp's moves. It seemed that there was a calm before a storm, and they were waiting for an opportune time to strike. Hopefully, the Tekken Force would hold strong against whatever they had brewing. He had been in contact with Eddy to be debriefed about the current situation. Although it appeared that they were prepared, he still requested more units to report to the location to decrease their chances for failure.

This was heavily on his mind all day; no matter how much time he'd spent in his dojo training to distract himself, he couldn't ignore his duties to manage this war he created. Besides, he was annoyed that his only outlet to vent his anger and frustration came through senselessly beating an inanimate object hanging from the ceiling. He was too troubled to do anything besides think. Also, it certainly didn't help that his right hand had been defying him lately. As soon as she left the premises last night, he had been informed by security, but he decided to let her leave. She wanted space, so he gave it to her, but with the tides rising in the war it was imperative that she be there to perform her duties when necessary. He had attempted to contact her a few times throughout the day only to be met with a standard voicemail message. She had turned off her phone once again just to spite him. Soon, he'd have no choice but to use extreme measures to rein her back in, like freezing her checks until she decided to stop playing these childish games.

He exhaled heavily as his eyes remained transfixed on the ceiling in his dark room. His thoughts had been rapidly firing all day long, and now it was nearing midnight and he was still alert and restless. He was apprehensive about the days to come, but he would just have to wait and see his everything played out; the pawns were placed and now it was time to make the first move.

After a few more moments of staring blankly at his ceiling, he came to the conclusion that he'd definitely need a sleeping aid to knock himself out for the night. As he turned over and reached for the drawer on his nightstand, he was stopped as the ringing of his cellphone interrupted the dead silence of his quarters. He glimpsed at the name and narrowed his eyes angrily before he finally reached for the device after a few rings. He answered the call. "You have some nerve," he spoke in a reprimanding tone. "Why do you insist on intentionally disobeying me?" He could hear music and low chatter in the background and wondered where the hell she was.

"Hmph, I'm not surprised that you're still awake," she mocked in a casual tone. "Are you burning the midnight oil or lying in bed lamenting your life choices?"

Her nonchalant, snide tone only further pissed him off. "Don't think that you're above discipline because we-"

"Fucked?" she finished for him rather crudely. "That's _nothing,_ remember?"

Jin groaned lowly in annoyance as he pinched the bridge of his nose. She was so bold and testy with him that she couldn't possibly be ready to talk like a mature adult. The conversation was going left already and they were barely on the phone for a full minute. "Why did you bother calling me if you weren't going to be reasonable?"

"This is me being _reasonable,"_ she responded sharply. "I'm ready to talk, if that's what you meant."

Jin sighed inaudibly as he realized that dealing with the woman was never going to be easy. He was beginning to rue the day that he allowed his male curiosities about women to get the better of his judgment. "This conversation should be held in person," he suggested firmly. "Come back now." He could hear her scoffing on the other end.

"You better come find me," she said slyly. "Obviously, you're good at that."

"You honestly think I'm in the mood for this right now?" he warned with anger infiltrating his tone.

"Of course you are," she responded. "It seems that you're quite fond of games, but I guess that's only when you have control over the rules."

"I don't have time for this," he rejected her offer. She only further contributed to his list of problems, and he finally saw their time spent away from each other as a positive thing.

"Suit yourself," she spoke lowly, barely audible over the noise in the background. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"Where are you?" he demanded to know in a serious tone. She was acting strangely, and he couldn't help but to wonder what the hell was going on with her.

"Again, you know how to find me," she reminded before she abruptly ended the call.

Jin slapped his palm over his face as he still held his phone to his ear, still trying to understand what was going on with his bodyguard. What did she want from him? He finally rested his phone beside him and closed his eyes. He wished she hadn't called. He would've taken a pill already had she not, but now she was on the forefront on his mind, once again plaguing his thoughts. 'If she wants to play games, she can do it alone,' he thought to himself. 'I have bigger things to worry about.' Convinced with his decision, he decided to not be lured into her games.

* * *

In the battle of the stubborn versus the strong-willed, he shamefully accepted his defeat and finally caved and threw in the towel. He contemplated for several minutes as he laid in bed before finally forcing himself to roll out of bed to track down his wayward bodyguard. It didn't take long to find her; his phone's GPS tracker led him right to her location. However, when he arrived to the location, it wasn't what he expected at all. He found himself at a small lounge in the city with an inconspicuous façade that didn't particularly seem exciting or very inviting. Despite his reservations, he opened the door and slowly descended the long staircase down towards the bar.

Once downstairs, he found himself in a dimly lit lounge with jazz music playing lowly in the background. There were barely any patrons in the place, maybe seven people tops, and they all seemed to be mellowed and hypnotized. Perhaps they were numbed by the drinks in their system or lulled by the calming music looming throughout the atmosphere. Jin cautiously crept into the place to fully study and observe his environment. No one hardly acknowledged him, which is what he preferred since it was very important that his identity remained a mystery. He scanned his brown eyes over the room, and it didn't take long for him to find who he had been searching for. There she was, circling the pool table slowly with a pool stick clutched firmly in her hand. The blonde was dressed in a pair of tight black leather pants with a matching black halter top. She was a sight for sore eyes, especially in this seedy place.

Jin paused and just watched her from afar. Now that he had her in his sights, he noticed that the other patrons secretly stole glances at the blonde as she played a solo game of pool. Ever so often, he could see the other men casting cowardly glances at her before hanging their heads low or looking elsewhere discreetly when they feared that they'd end up in her line of sight as she switched positions around the table. However, when she had her back turned towards most of the room and leaned forward over the table to line up her shot, all eyes were on her, unabashedly drinking in the sight of her curvaceous body.

Whether intentionally or not, she had every man in the room under her spell, similarly to the night she had graced the stage. Yet with this power, she still maintained a hierarchy of control and dominance, which effectively seemed to ward off any unwanted advances from any fool brazen enough to attempt to press his luck with her. Practically every man in the lounge was a slave to her, whether they realized it or not, and he could bet that she was either unaware or completely uncaring about their secret reverence of her. Unsurprisingly, the spectators acknowledged her rules and stayed in their respective places as she dominated the room with her cool, commanding presence.

He watched as she slowly strutted around the table on the opposite side and leaned over after eyeballing her next target. It was then that she finally lifted her eyes from the table and looked at him from across the room. She didn't appear surprised or upset by noticing his presence and merely returned her eyes to the game before taking the shot. The clacking of balls knocked him from his reverie, and he slowly made his way over to her.

Nina clutched the pool stick in her hand as she reached towards a nearby table and took a sip of beer from a glass mug. She then turned her attention towards Jin, who looked as sour faced and aloof as he normally did. She could sense that he was peeved about being there, but it's not like she pulled his leg and forced him to meet her, and she honestly didn't think he'd show. She did say that she would return to HQ the next morning after all, but perhaps after closer consideration, he wasn't too pleased with that. Truthfully, she had intended on returning much earlier in the day, but she became sidetracked by things, such as realizing that she had absolutely no food stocked in her frig at her little hideaway apartment, which led to her perusing around the city to grab a bite. Aside from that, she was in no rush to return since technically it was the last day of her vacation, so she figured she'd hideaway somewhere to have some fun to take her mind off things before returning to the salt mines.

The blonde paid him no mind as she slowly coasted along the length of the table, eyeing her next potential target. His eyes remained fixated on her while she barely acknowledged his presence. His eyes then fell on the balls on the table as she bent over with her hand perched on the soft material of the table while she carefully slid the pool stick between her fingers before launching it into the cue ball. A striped ball flew across the table and perfectly landed into a side pocket. Jin folded his arms across his chest as she walked towards where he was standing on the other side of the table. She gazed intently into his eyes for a moment before pursing her lips.

"Move," she spoke brusquely.

Jin frowned deeply at her rude tone. Her eyes were noticeably drowsy, and he couldn't determine if her tone was serious or playful. However, he refused to let her think she could get away with being so dismissive and disrespectful to him. "We're leaving," he ordered in a monotonous voice. He was in no mood to deal with her flimsy attitude after coming all the way to some hole in the wall bar to meet her.

Nina didn't flinch from his words and simply brushed past him with a smug smirk to reach her next position on the table. She lined her shot up perfectly only to have her concentration disrupted as he rudely picked the cue ball up from the table and clutched it in his hands. She stood to her height and placed her hand on her hip with an irritable glare before reaching for her mug of beer and taking a long sip. After she was finished, she placed it back down. "Careful, Jin," she warned with a smirk. "You're making a scene." She motioned her eyes behind him.

He turned his head slightly to look in the direction she was looking in. Strangely, the room full of men had their eyes focused on him in contempt, probably in displeasure at watching some intruder disrupt their entertainment. Jin angrily clenched his fist by his side and felt the currents of electricity flowing throughout his fist before he came to his senses. He wasn't at all threatened by any drunken fool in the bar, but his anonymity was important, and avoiding unnecessary conflict seemed to be a wise decision.

From the way Jin came in dressed incognito with a black hoodie pulled over his head and sunglasses on his face, she could assume that he wanted to protect his identity, and it was painfully obvious that he didn't want to be seen. Besides that, she didn't appreciate him interrupting her game. Still, he clutched the cue ball in his hand tightly as he glared angrily at her. She sighed and folded her arms across her chest in impatience. "Look, just let me finish my game, then we can leave," she bargained fairly. Jin was an impatient man, but she knew how to get around that.

She always wanted to have things her way, and he was tired of relenting to her every whim. "I don't have time for this, we're leaving now," he ordered with more vigor in his tone. He clenched his jaw as she remained unmoving. They then engaged in a heated staring match as their stubborn wills were battling each other in a death match. A long moment passed before a bartender collected the empty glass on the table behind her and replaced it with a full glass foaming to the brim. This broke her concentration, and he watched as she casually picked up the glass and began drinking from it. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He wondered how much she had to drink so far. If she was indeed drunk, that would partially explain her bold tone and disrespectful attitude towards him. She continued to sip from her glass as she coolly pierced him with her crystalline blue eyes.

She knew that pissing him off wasn't wise, but part of her enjoyed ruffling his feathers. She wasn't intimidated by his fearsome anger like everyone else was, and this allowed her to breach his tough outer layer. After a few more moments of debating, she saw him finally place the ball back onto the table, very resentfully. It was then that she approached the table again with her stick in hand and resumed her game.

Jin sighed heavily after he finally gave in and decided to ease his anger by watching her play. He was seething, but he quietly attempted to keep his temper under wraps. Deep down, however, he wanted to grab her by the arm and force her to just hurry up and leave the bar. As she walked about the table taking shot after shot, and he watched her game intently until she paused to take another drink. "Are you satisfied now?" he cut through their silence with a serious question. "You successfully dragged me out of bed just so you could parade how angry you are with me over something I already apologized for."

Nina remained silent as she continued to sip her drink as he glowered at her. Afterwards she approached the table once again with her eyes intently focused on his. She reached for the cue shaper and began twisting it on the tip of her stick before she puckered her lips to blow off the excess dust. She blankly stared at him. "You think _this_ is me angry?" she said calmly. "If I were truly angry, I'd be beating you fucking bloody with this pool stick."

Jin blinked a few times as he was taken aback by the slight rise of anger in her tone. Not only that, he could definitely hear her native Irish accent resurfacing again as she bit out those words to him. Perhaps it was her raw, unfiltered anger dislodged by the alcohol she had consumed this evening that caused her to slip. Not sure what to say next, while also being slightly intimidated, he didn't say anything else to her.

"Everything about this job has been a bad omen on my life," she confessed angrily as she paced about the table. "I've never had to deal with this much bullshit just to earn a decent paycheck."

At this point, he knew that the alcohol had loosened her lips, and she was definitely venting and unleashing her frustration. He allowed her the opportunity to reveal her true feelings about everything and held his tongue.

"I value my privacy just as much as you do, Kazama," she continued. "So, I'm assuming you can imagine how pissed I am about this _situation_ digging up a shameful part of my past."

He would've interjected to agree, but he didn't want to disrupt her candid monologue. This was the time to listen and understand her grievances.

Her blue eyes wavered with sadness for a brief moment as she stared at the pool table with a faraway expression. "I…just don't understand why this happened…" she muttered lowly to herself. "I didn't have a choice…" Her voice trailed off sorrowfully as she continued to stare vacantly for a moment.

Jin noticed the shift in her mood immediately. Her once sassy attitude was now replaced with a gloomy disposition. After hearing her speak, he realized that he was ignorant to how deeply this all affected her and even felt remorseful for dismissing her anger as an overreaction earlier. Despite her now sorrowful mood, she resumed playing. He leaned against a nearby wall and watched her finish her game. She finally lined up her last shot and slammed the cue ball into the eight ball, landing it perfectly into the side pocket. She expressed no emotion at her feat and headed over to finish the last of her beer before reaching for her leather jacket and heading towards the door.

Naturally, he followed closely in tow as she walked past him. He looked around and noticed the eyes of the men watching her surreptitiously as she headed out. They'd probably miss their _entertainment_ of leering lasciviously at her body as she bent over repeatedly in those tight leather pants, and the fool that had every one of her drinks placed on his tab probably felt cheated that she didn't get liquored up enough to go home with him. It slightly annoyed him, but he felt satisfied knowing that he was able to steal her away from the lecherous attention of the lonely men in the lounge. 'I'm glad I've never been this pathetic in life,' he thought bitterly as he ascended the stairs behind the blonde.

Once outside, he immediately felt less anxious. He never took a liking to being in public spaces for too long; he already craved to return to the comfort and solitude of his quarters. Nina slowly walked a few paces ahead of him down the sidewalk in silence. He walked behind her as he only listened to the sound of her heeled boots slowly clicking down the deserted sidewalk. It was late and cold, and the streets were pretty dead now. Not that he thought this portion of the city should be booming with nightlife with the given bars in the area, but he knew the war had greatly caused an emotional and economic decline throughout the globe.

He quickly dismissed those grim observations and kept his focus on the woman in front of him. He wondered if she was going to give him the silent treatment all night, yet he couldn't tell if she was angry or sad. Just as they were going to walk past his parked motorcycle, he finally spoke up. "Where are you going?" he asked, once again being the first to break the silence.

The blonde slowly came to a halt and kept her back to him. Her shoulders heaved up and down heavily as she breathed in and exhaled deeply a few times before she brought a palm up to her face. There was an awkward silence between the question and when she finally responded to him. "My bike is up the street," she informed in an unenthused tone. "Go on ahead without me, I'll be fine." She then continued to walk.

The way she slowly and cautiously walked as if she were applying extra focus not to stumble made it more than clear that she was unfit to ride alone. His conscience and care for her well being wouldn't allow him to leave her alone. "I'm not going to fight you on this," Jin warned lightly. "It's late, I'm tired…I'm tired of fighting." He wanted nothing more now than to be between the warm sheets of his bed. She paused again and crossed her arms briefly before raising her palm to her face again.

"Jin, please…" her voice cracked weakly. "Just go."

He couldn't take anymore of this. "Enough!" he snapped angrily. "Why are you so damn hung up over this?! Get over it!" Again, his anger got the better of him, and he said something to her that he immediately regretted afterwards. His sharp tongue and short temper was becoming an issue lately; the devil within him was having a field day. Silence crept between them again for a long moment, only to be disrupted by a lone vehicle casually passing down the road. Nina remained unmoving from his words, which made him even more nervous. Jin lowered his eyes to the ground as he tried to think of something to alleviate the situation. A joke? An apology? More silence? He didn't know what to do. He hated how unprepared he was at dealing with women's emotions and people in general. He took a small step towards her but immediately stopped once he heard her sigh sorrowfully.

"It's not like I asked for any of this," she spoke with a soft, strained voice with her back still to him. "I didn't ask for any of this…"

Jin's heart nervously quickened at hearing how weak and defeated she sounded. Resentment towards one's fate, he knew that hatred all too well. He naturally felt compelled to approach her now, especially since he had clearly upset her with his insensitive words. Once he was close enough, he reached out and gently grabbed her arm to turn her around to face him and was greeted with the surprise of a lifetime. The blonde nearly startled him as she quickly buried her face into his shoulder, barely allowing him to get a full glimpse of her face. However, in a flicker of a second, he unmistakably had witnessed tears slipping down her pale cheeks. He was stunned, and he stood there for a moment like a statue as she kept her face buried into his shoulder and quietly wept.

As the initial shock of witnessing the ice cold assassin breaking down before him dissipated, he slowly encircled his arms around her shoulders in a comforting embrace. He could feel her body lightly trembling against him as she silently broke down. He was at a complete loss for words, but for a situation like this, no words were needed. He had feared that his words had triggered this reaction, but he knew this was just a build up of backed up emotions finally forcing their way out of her. This is what she needed at the moment. All of the pain, frustration, and anger she had kept bottled was finally released; it was probably a cathartic experience to purge some of those negative emotions.

His arms tightened around her protectively as a couple of pedestrians passed by them on the sidewalk, and he craned his face down towards hers to shield their identities as one of them curiously tried to observe them as they walked by. Their faces, mainly his, had been plastered all over the news and being in public like this only increased his urgency to return back to HQ.

Suddenly, the blonde gently pushed away from him and quickly whipped around to turn her back on him with her hand shielding her face in shame. She calmly steadied her breathing to fight back any more tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes since the first round was embarrassing and damaging enough to her iron pride. She couldn't imagine what Jin thought of her at the moment, she _never_ would have wanted anyone to see her in such a vulnerable state. Her mind was fuzzy and she was tired, so she forced herself to regain her composure so that they could leave. Her fingers wiped away any evidence of tears from her cheeks and, she took one final, shaky breath. "I'm sorry," she whispered, just audible enough for him to hear. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Jin was still slightly dazed by everything he witnessed. Hearing her finally speak again brought him back to reality. There was fragility still present in her voice, but he could hear her attempt to conceal it with her usual composed tone. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and she tensed. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked carefully with concern.

"I'm fine," she responded hastily without hesitation. "I'm just cold and tired."

That was her usual recited phrase whenever he asked that question, but he would take her word for it. Besides, like her, he was cold and tired as well, minus being tipsy. "You're coming with me," he declared as he began walking back towards his motorcycle parked near the curb. He turned back to face her when he didn't hear her following him. "Is there a problem?"

Nina folded her arms as she felt reluctant to go with him. "My bike is up ahead," she reminded him. "I don't want to leave it."

Jin shook his head. "You're not fit to ride alone," he said as he mounted his bike and started the engine. "Come with me, now."

"Trust me I'm not drunk, Jin, I can manage to drive," she continued to plead her case.

The blonde never made things easy. Whether she was drunk or not, he still preferred to have her ride with him. He was slightly endeared that she was so concerned about the welfare of his gift to her, but it shouldn't have been her top concern at the moment considering the things that had transpired. "I'll have that taken care of later," he assured her. "Come." Finally, she obeyed his command without further objections.

Nina approached his bike and came to terms that there was no way around this. As soon as she mounted herself onto his bike, she immediately locked her arms around his torso firmly as if bracing herself for a speedy departure. He was confused by her behavior at first until he recalled the last time she rode with him. He smirked to himself from the memory. In retrospect, it was an amusing stunt he pulled on her, but he wouldn't dare try that now since he feared she might actually fall off due to being somewhat impaired from drinking.

"Are you sure you're holding on tight enough?" he jested with her as he revved the engine. He could feel her pressing against his back as she made herself more comfortable.

"Don't go so fast," she murmured softly into his ear as she clung onto him. "If I fall, you die."

He found it amusing that she was threatening him in her current emotional state, but he would heed her warning and take extra precautions while riding. That would mean eliminating tricky roads and dirt paths and avoiding tight turns and winding roads, but he wouldn't mind taking the longer but safer route to get her to their destination safely. Once he was sure she was properly situated, he finally pulled off and zoomed down the road.

* * *

When they arrived back from their little night ride, he made it his duty to escort her back to her quarters, a task that didn't come without resistance. Even though she repeatedly claimed that she was _fine,_ he ignored her completely and walked her to her room. He even took the extra step of getting her settled in by helping her remove her jacket and boots and making sure she laid down to rest. However, she wouldn't rest assured until she knew her bike was fine, so he was forced to call a late night patrol soldier to retrieve it for her. After he was finally able to successfully tuck her in, he left her alone for the night and retired to his quarters.

Once again, he found himself in the same predicament he was in nearly three hours earlier, struggling to fall asleep with a lot on his mind. It was nearing 3am now, and he couldn't believe that he was still awake, especially considering how early he planned to wake up in the morning. Dealing with the blonde had turned his night topsy turvy, but he was relieved that she finally returned with him, but not without much struggle. After witnessing her one woman show earlier, he was still disconcerted from her behavior. There was no doubt in his mind that alcohol had been the catalyst for her emotional rollercoaster, which was grounds enough for him to dismiss it since her actions were probably unintended; however, it was one of the most raw, _human_ moments she'd ever displayed to him. There was a sad irony in realizing that she was right; by granting her this break from her duties, she only experienced more unrest and turmoil. Hopefully, she was at peace now and would be able to rest easy.

Jin finally closed his eyes after losing interest in staring blankly at the moon shining in from his bedroom windows. It calmed him a little and hopefully it would ease his mind and allow him to sleep. After several minutes laying in the dark and waiting for the silence to lull him to sleep, he heard the distinct sound of his bedroom door softly clicking as it opened. He immediately opened his eyes and sat up in his bed as his eyes darted towards the door. His mouth fell slightly agape as a figure of a woman emerged from the shadows and slowly crossed the room. She was adorned in nothing but a silky, sheer white robe that was very loosely tied around her slim waist. As she drew nearer, he noticed that her blonde hair appeared slightly wet as it draped over her shoulders.

His heart thumped heavily in excitement, and he nervously let out a low exhale and licked his bottom lip as he was preparing to break the spell he was falling under by asking her if everything was okay. He slowly swung his legs over the side of his bed as he never tore his eyes away from her. The pale moonlight seeping in through the windows illuminated her form, making her look all the more alluring and mysterious as she slipped into his quarters in the dark of night, like an angel of darkness. Despite how mesmerizing and hauntingly beautiful she looked, there was a strange air of melancholy about her as her blue eyes still reflected a serene sadness within them. At the moment, his tongue was frozen and the only thing he could do was watch her in awe.

The blonde slowly stepped towards him, her bare knee caressed against his as she gazed wantonly into his brown eyes. She remained silent as she lifted her hand to his face and softly caressed his cheek. Her fingers slipped through his dark locks and she smirked gently as he just stared at her in arousal and confusion.

He barely had any time to process what was happening. The beautiful, svelte blonde stood before him with her sheer robe that concealed nothing from his imagination. It wasn't long before he finally allowed his hand to gently brush against the skin of her thigh. Her skin was still slightly moist from her shower, it was as if she'd wasted no time afterwards to pay him a visit. Restraint was nonexistent at this point as he fully caressed his hands upwards on her warm, smooth skin before his hands slipped over her hips. He didn't hold himself back this time, for now he had no qualms about pursuing what he desired. Her soft pants of excitement never ceased to increase his need to further explore more of her. He tugged gently at the sash of her robe and gawked at her body lustfully as the sheer material slid open to give him a full view of her voluptuous figure and ample breasts. Impulsively, Jin immediately snaked his arms around her waist and drew her even closer to him as he couldn't help but to begin exploring her with his mouth, giving attention to the various erogenous zones she loved for him to touch.

Nina was thrilled with his eagerness and confidence. He knew what she liked; he was so bold and unrestrained this time around. Her fingers still slipped through his thick hair as she continued to moan in pleasure as he greedily kissed and teased her breasts eagerly with his tongue. More gasping moans slipped through her parted lips as she increasingly became more satisfied by his actions. She slowly clasped his face between her palms and he slowly parted from her and gazed up at her longingly.

His hands still roamed over body as they lustfully locked eyes. His hands slid upwards towards her shoulders as he slipped the thin, sheer robe from them, leaving her completely nude before him. Jin marveled her form briefly before his hands tightly gripped onto her hips and pulled her towards him again until she was forced to straddle him on the bed. The alluring siren wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she pressed her lips against his, locking them into an intensely passionate kiss. He enveloped her tightly in his muscular arms as he completely reveled in the moment. There was something peculiar about her this evening. She not only appeared to be physically unrestrained, but emotionally as well. Whether it was the strange power in her kiss or something in her embrace, something was different.

After she parted from his lips, he gazed intently into her eyes as her face remained close to his. He looked into her deep pools as if he were searching for the answer for his prior musings in her eyes. The only response he received was her drifting towards his lips again and seductively teasing them with the tip of her tongue. This broke him from his small trance, and he immediately smothered her lips with his as he fell backwards onto the bed with her in his arms. He combed his fingers through her damp, blonde tresses as he passionately kissed her plush lips, allowing his tongue to gently caress against hers. The warmth of her body pressing into his coupled with her sensually writhing her hips on top of him began peaking his arousal, and he couldn't wait any longer to have her.

Nina moaned softly against his lips before pulling away from him and studying his eyes. His hands continued to slip over her body, rubbing and softly kneading her skin from her thighs, over her bottom, and across her back. The feel of their hearts beating together rhythmically in time was inexplicably comforting to her at the moment, something she so desperately needed for a long time. The familiar aching of desire had overwhelmed her as well, and teasingly brushing against him only increased her cravings for him. However, she felt oddly anxious, but she wouldn't let that hold her back. She placed another soft kiss on his lips before slowly pushing herself from his chest.

Jin was quickly pulled from his lustful haze when the blonde dismounted from him and slowly laid beside him. He sat up slowly in alarm and stared down at her with a confused expression, but she simply cast him a gentle smile as she lifted her hand towards his cheek to ease his concerns. Her sapphire eyes were calm, and she softly exhaled as she pulled him down towards her face again. He hovered over her body for a moment, curiously searching her eyes for more answers. He parted his lips slightly in preparation to ask her before she encircled her arms around his torso and pulled his body down to hers. Once again, her behavior surprised him. Her thighs caressed against his hips before she locked them around him.

Jin was spellbound by her actions and fell into a state of awe as things further progressed. Her eyes enticingly pierced his while her hands slid down towards his hips until she slid them beneath the band of his black boxers. He didn't hesitate in assisting her with the task since he was already throbbing for her by this point. After he was free from the garment, he pressed his body onto hers and cupped her smooth cheek with his palm. For a moment, he just lost himself in her eyes, and he felt a warming feeling overflowing within him. Her heart was pounding strongly against him as if she were slightly nervous. It was completely unfathomable to him that she would feel that way, but it wasn't impossible. After all, she was exposing more of her vulnerabilities to him lately.

Control was very important to her; without it she felt weak. Yet, she allowed herself to entertain the thought of submissiveness, just for once. Her lips pulled into a half smile as she reassured him that everything was fine. She closed her eyes with a low exhale while she relaxed herself. A low, gasping moan emitted from her, and she loosely gripped onto the black silken sheets of his bed as he slowly entered her. Now that she had given him full control, she wondered what he would do with that power.

The fusion of their bodies completely overwhelmed his senses just as it did the last time. Maintaining and seeking more of that same pleasure became his primary goal, and now his brain was operating on autopilot. His hands gripped onto her thighs as he pulled her closer to him, thus plunging himself deeper to obtain even more pleasure. The sounds her soft pants filling his ears excited him, further fueling and emboldening him.

His thrusts started slow and steady, yet once he felt comfortable he slowly advanced into a strong, rhythmic pace. The blonde arched her back from his thrusts and writhed on the bed erotically as he continued onwards, her moans and pants gradually increased as their hips rocked together in unison.

Nina bit down into her bottom lip as the rhythmic motion of him slicking inside of her increasingly caused her to lose herself in the moment. All attempts to stifle her moans failed as she wholly succumbed to the pleasure. Her hands gripped tighter on the sheets as she pressed her lips together to further silence her cries of ecstasy. She lazily opened her eyes to gaze up at Jin, who seemed to be thoroughly consumed in the act with a deeply focused expression as he never broke his rhythm. She tightened her trembling legs around his hips as she bucked into him again as she squeezed her eyes shut as she could no longer contain herself as another series of heavy, panting moans freed themselves from her. She rotated her head to look around her and reached for a nearby pillow.

The raven haired man was perspiring lightly as he never let up on his pacing. He groaned lowly from the overwhelming gratification of their love making. His concentration was broken when he heard the sounds of her muffled voice lowly muttering expletives. When he looked down at her, he was surprised to see her smothering a pillow over her face, robbing him from the view of her beautiful face twisting erotically with pleasure and the melodious sounds of her sensuous orgasm. He immediately reached out and pulled the pillow from grasp and beheld her flushed face that she once attempted to hide from him. He smirked playfully as he realized the cause of her sudden bashful behavior. She wasn't in control and was completely at his mercy, and he surmised that she wasn't used to allowing herself to feel so powerless. Admittedly, he was honored that she was trusting enough to allow him take the lead.

Jin leaned over her body while reaching out to rest his hand over the base of her throat. He slowly slipped his hand towards her cheek and caressed his thumb over her bottom lip while he observed her in amusement as she heaved breathlessly beneath him. She slowly clasped her hand over his before intertwining her hand with his as she gazed at him lasciviously. He guided his lips towards hers and kissed her strongly before continuing.

She embraced her arms tightly around his strong shoulders deeply arched hips towards his as they rocked together. Their glistening bodies were entangled together, moving perfectly together like a well oiled machine. Her nails bit into his back softly as she rapidly ascended towards her climax. She buried her face into his neck to once again suppress her moans as her body began quivering against his. Her toes curled as she cried out sensuously once again.

Jin groaned and grunted as finally reached his climax. Her body tightened around him as they both were granted a gratifying release. They were both breathing tirelessly as they both remained in each other's embrace. Even after their heavy breathing and pounding hearts steadied, they still remained close. He nestled his face near the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply, picking up the faint scent of lavender in her hair. He wouldn't have minded staying just like that for the entire night, but he assumed that it wouldn't be very comfortable for her. With this in mind, he finally lifted his weight from her body and peered down at the blonde beneath him. Her hair was fanned and tousled around her head as she appeared to be dreamily dozing off, seemingly exhausted from their intimate activities. He smirked thinly at her before he planted a chaste kiss on her lips before rolling onto his side beside her.

Watching her drift to sleep was strangely calming to him, but he was primarily concerned for her well being. It had been quite an emotional night for her, and he wondered how she'd feel in the morning. She was in rare form this evening, but he was intrigued to see her let her wall down even more, even if the catalyst for doing so was caused by her repressed pain. She was a curious case, but there was no use in dwelling on a mystery he couldn't solve. The raven haired man draped his arm over her waist as he embraced her and allowed the warmth of her body soothe him to sleep.

* * *

Morning once again had arrived entirely too early. It came to no surprise that he woke up feeling sleep deprived, but he was so used to it that it no longer bothered him at this point. When he finally opened his eyes to be greeted by the morning light, he was surprised to see that it was still dimly lit in his room. He stretched his tired muscles a bit before he turned his head towards clock on his nightstand and saw that it was nearing sunrise; he'd barely gotten three hours of sleep. He sighed tiredly. Every morning he woke up, his mind immediately became fixated on the many dreadful things he had to attend to on his itinerary.

He blinked drowsily before turning his head to the side on his pillow. The sight of the woman sleeping next to him nearly startled him; it was a shock to see that she hadn't fled before he awakened. Despite the rarity of this situation, he was pleasantly surprised and relieved that she stayed the night. Her back was turned to him, and he wondered if she had attempted to leave but had second thoughts. Whatever the case, he was glad that he didn't have to wake up to an empty bed and wonder if she would emotionally shapeshift the next time he saw her. Jin fixedly focused his eyes on her porcelain back, letting his eyes travel along the curvature of her hips and waist that were barely covered by the sheets draped over her. He willingly let his mind wander to the licentious thoughts lingering within him from their romantic encounter earlier. Thinking of such things compelled him to lift his hand to touch her, just for reassurance that she wasn't a mirage. He tenderly caressed her skin from the small of her back and slowly upwards along her spine. This caused the blonde to stir, which made him to smirk slightly. His hand continued to smooth over her warm skin idly.

"Haven't you had enough of me already?" she spoke softly in a tired voice. She wasn't a very deep sleeper, unless she took something to help her rest, so she slowly began to awaken from her light slumber the moment he touched her. "I'm still exhausted…" It was a tough thing to admit, but she couldn't deny that his stamina nearly outmatched hers.

His smirked pulled tighter. "I guess that's why you failed to make your great escape before morning," he pointed out.

Nina slowly turned over onto her back and turned her head towards him with her blonde tresses tousled about her face. Something about his playful smirk made her smile a little. She noticed that he seemed to be gazing at her in a mysterious fashion. "Something on your mind?"

"You could say that," he replied as his face became more serious. "How are you feeling?" Last night was an eye opener for him, and he just wanted to be sure that she was of sound mind now.

She kept her eyes focused on his. "I told you I'm-"

"Fine?" he interrupted and finished for her. "So, will you finally accept my apology?" They never officially got to speak about the issue at hand, but he didn't forget about that.

Nina let out a small, dry laugh. "Oh, that? It's water under the bridge," she said in an unenthused manner. After this, she no longer wanted the topic of that situation to resurface. She noticed that he didn't seem convinced from her acceptance of his apology, and she sighed softly. "Jin, I forgive you, and I suppose I owe you an apology for causing such a stir over this silly issue."

"It's not a silly issue, you shouldn't think that," he suggested. "I can't imagine what you must've felt-"

"I don't want you to," she cut in abruptly with a somber expression. The mood was getting a little too heavy and she wanted to change the subject. "Sorry, for being such a handful last night..."

He picked up on her cues to change the topic, so he granted her that wish to avoid upsetting her again. He could see her trying to disguise the pain in her eyes as she looked at him from her pillow. "You were quite the handful…but it was interesting," Jin teased suggestively.

"I'm sure it was," she said in a sly, flirtatious tone. "I wasn't myself…"

His mind lingered on those words before he mustered up the courage to ask his next question. "You were very honest and open, emotionally, " he revealed to her. "It was interesting to see you that way." As he continued gazing at her face, he noticed that she seemed to be slightly embarrassed by his statement.

Having her emotions dissected was always an uncomfortable feeling for her; she didn't like being put on the spot. However, instead of anger, she only felt the strange, tingling feeling of butterflies dancing in her stomach. She couldn't think of much to say to that; however, Jin was the king of overthinking. A mocking smirk appeared on her lips. "Hmm, I was pretty tipsy," she reminded him again. "Never trust the words of a drunken fool."

"Does the same go for your actions?" he asked, further testing her reasoning. "Why did you come to me?"

Honestly, she really couldn't explain the reason, at least in a way that wouldn't completely embarrass her. She couldn't fall asleep after they returned, so she took a shower to help her relax. During, she had this unexplainable urge to see him; it was a feeling that completely clouded her senses, and she desperately wanted to feel comforted at the moment. It was as if she mentally and emotionally regressed to a small child inside that wanted to feel coddled and protected after feeling pain. Now, with a clearer mind, she felt completely foolish for letting her emotions guide her instead of her logic; that's not what she was trained to do. Nina rolled onto her side and silently stared at him as he waited for her to speak. "I was bored," she simply responded. "And I find your company _entertaining_ at times."

He couldn't help but to smirk in disbelief at her answer. She was the queen of evasion, after all. It was amusing to see the mental gymnastics she performed to avoid giving him any inkling of a clue about her true feelings. In an odd way, he admired her dedication. Regarding his own emotions, he just didn't know how to put them into words to her, especially since he feared how she'd react to his full truth. Again, he contemplated just coming clean to get that uncomfortable truth off his chest, but they had already gotten over a bump in their complicated _relationship,_ and he didn't want to ruin their reconciliation. As they grew closer, his guilt intensified yet he feared driving her away; it was a very complicated matter. As if she could sense him brooding and overanalyzing things, she moved closer to him and tenderly kissed him. As usual, he couldn't resist the feel of the siren's lips against his.

She slowly parted from his lips and gave him a sly smile. "Remember, Jin," she whispered softly near his ear. "Actions over words."

Jin gave her a small smile. If that was the case, then her actions were definitely much louder than her words. Regardless of her insistence that this was _nothing,_ deep down he knew that it was _something_ in spite of her denial. Their eyes remained transfixed intimately for a moment as they laid next to each other as sunrise slowly approached. Moments like this felt as if time stopped and they were vacuumed into a wormhole to a place where they had no hardships or worries, just the comforting silence and each other. 'My time is running out…I wish there was another way...' he thought gloomily.

Moments later, his phone rung loudly from the nightstand and jolted him from his thoughts. He exhaled deeply in annoyance at the unwanted disturbance, feeling reluctant to answer the call.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" the blonde wondered. "It could be important."

Jin let out another sigh of disappointment before rolling over to answer the call. Once he saw the name on the screen, he felt even more apprehensive. "Yes, what is it, Eddy?" he said as he picked up the call. He listened carefully as the man on the other end gave him his latest reports.

Nina quietly observed his body language and facial expressions to analyze the tone of the conversation. He tensed and clenched his jaw tightly. Whatever the news was, it couldn't be good. 'My vacation was a complete bust, it would have been wise for me to go with Eddy instead,' she thought.

He sighed deeply with disappointment. "Okay," was all he said nonchalantly before ending the call. He stared at the ceiling blankly for a moment.

Nina sat up slowly in concern while loosely clutching the black silk sheets to her body. "What now?" she asked in a despairing manner.

"G Corp attacked one of our bases early this morning and there were a lot of casualties," he informed her of the grim news. 'Kazuya…I don't what he's planning…I can't let him discover Azazel.' He felt the bed shift and looked up as the blonde got out of bed. He tried not to gawk dumbly at her nude body as she stood up and knelt down to retrieve her robe.

Nina slipped back on her sheer robe and tied the sash. She looked up and dismissed the slightly dumbstruck look on his face. "I'm going to check on things," she announced. "Hopefully, we can regroup and find out what the hell G Corp is up to over there." The action had only died down in the city because Kazuya was absent from G Corp headquarters and hatching his conniving schemes overseas. They had been idle long enough, it was time to jump into the action.

He sat up as she became more serious about the matter and seemed to be very eager to dive into her duties again after her short sabbatical. It seemed that this is what she lived for. "I'm going as well," he declared calmly.

She looked at him in bafflement. "Why? There's no need for you to be there," she objected his decision with concern. "It's too dangerous for you to head into what could become a gritty battlefield if things escalate, and who knows what Kazuya and G Corp are truly scheming."

Anything was better than being left there alone. Besides, that strange vision he had was alarming and compelled him to visit the location to unveil the truth. Sitting around at headquarters would help accomplish nothing. "You're not going to change my mind," he said firmly as he finally stood up. "I'll make arrangements at the hangar for travel, we'll leave in a few hours." He watched as she crossed her arms and could tell from her expression that she didn't seem to be entirely content with his decision, but he wouldn't change his mind.

If Jin accompanied her on this mission, then that meant her duties would revolve around his safety before assisting the Tekken Force. She always felt that it was safer for him to remain at HQ, he probably didn't realize how dangerous her missions could get at times. Then again, Jin definitely wasn't helpless and was far more powerful than even he probably realized, so she wouldn't worry too much about him. "Very well then, suit yourself," she reluctantly agreed. Her eyes couldn't resist but to be naughty and steal one last glance at his muscular body as he stood before her in the buff. "Just try not to be too much of a distraction." She smirked mischievously at him before she finally strode out of his room.

He was amused by her remark and couldn't help but to crack a tiny smile. Sadly, this would probably be the last time that they could relax before being tossed out of their comfort zones and back into the harsh reality on the outside. 'What if this is the end?' he brooded glumly. 'What if he succeeds in awakening the creature and I'm forced to confront it sooner than I originally planned? Am I truly ready? Am I ready to die?' His conflicting thoughts and confusion grew stronger everyday, and he came to realize that _she_ was now the cause of his reluctance, but there was no other way. If he could rewrite his fate, there would be so much he would change, but this was his reality, and he couldn't cower from it.

* * *

End of chapter 31!

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. This took me forever to write/edit etc. I'll try to update more regularly, but I can't guarantee that they'll be timely. I'm thinking of ways to finally wind this story down, this is the longest story I've ever written lol. Thanks for reading!


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